ANIMAL COLLECTIVE -- Merriweather Post Pavilion

4.6 / 5.0

“I don’t mean / to seem like I care about material things / like a social status” sings Panda Bear on the single “My Girls,” almost as if he’s apologizing for the most accessible record AC has ever produced. Of course, we’re comparing this to Feels and Sung Tongs here…MPP is still more boldly innovative and experimental than most modern indie rock records we’ve seen lately. It’s also one of AC’s best.

The record opens with “In the Flowers,” which sounds like it was recorded in the murky depths of a cavern, or possibly a sewer—actually, the whole record sounds like it was recorded in a sewer, but no matter. “In the Flowers” oozes along to the sounds of dripping water echoing off the walls, until an EPIC explosion of sound knocks you off your comfortable feet. That follows “My Girls,” a head-banging dance rock anthem about living comfortably enough to buy adobe slabs for your gals but shunning materialistic goods. These two opening tracks are catchy and danceable enough to draw in any casual music fan (GASP!).

But don’t worry AC fans—all those pesky “casual fans” will be gone before the chorus of “Also Frightened.” While the rest of the album is still friendlier than the typical AC record, it’s all fantastic. Avey Tare and Panda Bear have never sounded better than through their delicious harmonizing on the up-tempo “Summertime Clothes.” “Guys Eyes” recalls the best moments off Panda Bear’s extraordinary solo album Person Pitch. “Lion in a Coma” is the most challenging to listen to—it’s a frustrating track with an awkward tempo which would be delightful to play at the dance my high school reunion dance (watching white people try to move to a 13-step beat would be hilarious indeed!). But once you figure out what the hell is going on, it’s a phenomenal track.

I’m still not so sure about the second-to-last track “No More Runnin’”—it’s the only song that the album wouldn’t suffer without. But AC quickly regain their steam in the extraordinary closer “Brothersport,” in which “You’ve got to open up your / open up your / open up your throat” is repeated over and over until you finally realize that your mouth has been wide open the whole time. At this point, you’ve become so captivated by this wonderful sewer music that you’ll do anything Panda and Avey tell you to do. But what they don’t have to tell is to listen to it all over again as soon as possible—as soon as the electro-gasm at the end of “Brothersport” fades out, you’re right back to “In the Flowers.” It’s been a while since I’ve spent so much time in the sewers.

• "MY GIRLS" VIDEO
  

New Reviews

I'll have reviews of these January releases up very soon:

Animal Collective -- Merriweather Post Pavilion
Antony & the Johnsons -- The Crying Light
Andrew Bird -- Noble Beast
Franz Ferdinand -- Tonight

Without further ado...

THE BEST ALBUMS OF 2008

1) Fleet Foxes – Fleet Foxes / Sun Giant

Sweeping folk melodies, dynamic harmonies, and Pecknold’s crooning, captivating vocals make this the most beautiful album of the decade. A timeless classic.

2) Deerhunter – Microcastle / Weird Era Cont.

An atmospherical double-masterpiece that echoes off your eardrums long after the final track fades away.

3) Of Montreal – Skeletal Lamping

Wildly unpredictable, often hilarious, and occasionally melancholy, Kevin Barnes’—excuse me, Georgie Fruit’s—perplexing experiment may not inspire many others to do the same, but it’s the most fun listening experience of 2008.

4) Frightened Rabbit – The Midnight Organ Fight

Desperation never sounded so catchy.

5) Hot Chip – Made in the Dark

Only those “Ready for the Floor” deserve to dance to these infectious tunes.

6) M83 – Saturdays = Youth

French duo brings back the 80s in a brash and beautiful way.

7) Bon Iver – For Emma, Forever Ago

Justin Vernon produces captivating music born out of an experiment in total isolation.

8) Wolf Parade – At Mount Zoomer

It’s good, but the final track propels the album into unexpected greatness.

9) Blitzen Trapper – Furr

Nothing else on the album compares to the title track, but then again, not much from ANYONE this year compared to this title track.

10) Portishead – Third

It’s weird…but the kind of “weird” that makes me want these repetitive songs to go on for forever…

11) The Dodos – Visiter

The first five songs rival the Fleet Foxes in their musical craftsmanship.

12) Hercules & Love Affair – Hercules & Love Affair

Antony Hegarty’s voice alone makes this a fabulous record.

13) My Morning Jacket – Evil Urges

No, it isn’t as good as “Z.” And there’s one too many songs on this record. But what the hell, I couldn’t stay away from it over the summer—even the slower numbers had me hooked.

14) Cut Copy – In Ghost Colours

Delicious dance music with a pulse that would obliterate even a Kenyan marathoner.

15) Okkervil River – The Stand Ins

It’s good.

16) The Rural Alberta Advantage – Hometowns

What the Smashing Pumpkins would sound like if Billy Corgan grew up in Alberta.

17) Vampire Weekend – Vampire Weekend

Maintain this indie-pop juiciness while avoiding clunkers like “One (Blake’s Got a New Face),” and this band is destined for great things. Of course, how the hell are they supposed to do that?

18) Santogold – Santogold

The first song is a little too “ghost” for comfort, but skip past it and you’ll find a vast array of dynamic pop arrangements and songs bursting with M.I.A.-like exhilaration.

19) The Last Shadow Puppets – The Age of the Understatement

More polished than an Arctic Monkeys record, but no less intriguing.

20) The Decemberists – Always the Bridesmaid: a Singles Series

Colin Meloy continues to make my home state proud.

Just Missed (21-30):

Department of Eagles – In Ear Park

Kaiser Chiefs – Off With Their Heads

Coldplay – Viva la Vida

Lindstrom – Where You Go I Go Too

TV On the Radio – Dear Science

First Aid Kit – Drunken Trees

Magnetic Fields – Distortion

Kanye West – 808s and Heartbreak

Beach House – Devotion

No Age – Nouns

THE BEST SONGS OF 2008

1) Fleet Foxes – Blue Ridge Mountains

2) Blitzen Trapper – Furr

3) Wolf Parade – Kissing the Beehive

4) Of Montreal – An Eluardian Instance

5) Deerhunter – Little Kids

6) Portishead – Hunter

7) Santogold – Lights Out

8) Bon Iver – The Wolves (Act 1 and 2)

9) Hot Chip – Hold On

10) Kanye West – Love Lockdown

11) The Decemberists – Raincoat Song

12) Fleet Foxes – Oliver James

13) The Rural Alberta Advantage – Frank, AB

14) Frightened Rabbit – Poke

15) Hercules & Love Affair – Hercules Theme

16) Kaiser Chiefs – Never Miss a Beat

17) M83 – Couleurs

18) My Morning Jacket – Touch Me I’m Going to Scream (Part 1)

19) First Aid Kit – Tangerine

20) The Dodos – Walking

21) Cut Copy – Lights & Music

22) TV On the Radio – Crying

23) Derby – All or Nothing

24) Coldplay – Lost!

25) MGMT – Kids

26) Sleep Station – Brownstone Mill

27) Okkervil River – Starry Stairs

28) Michael Franti & Spearhead – Say Hey (I Love You)

29) Beck – Chemtrails

30) Newton Faulkner – Dream Catch Me

This is a Blog Post

I have been diligently trying to piece together my lists for Best Songs and Best Albums of 2008 for a few days. It's all beginning to fall into place...I just need to dedicate more time to a few albums before I can be as content as possible with my lists. I'm aiming for the 20th!

A few inferior publications have already released their lists:

Rolling Stone, you are officially having an identity crisis. Who are you trying to appeal to with your Best of 2008 list? You have your obligatory Dylan record, TV on the Radio, Mellencamp, Santogold, Metallica, Coldplay, and Lil Wayne all in your top 10. While diversity isn't necessarily a bad thing, I feel like you're trying too hard to please all constituents of your fan base. Look--your "aging hipster" subscribers won't be around much longer, and if you continue down this path you will inevitably alienate your younger readers...oh, except that vicious estrogen-fueled pack of Jonas lovers. You're doing a fabulous job keeping those under your bosom.

Pitchfork, you are still the king.

First post, and I have nothing to talk about. Hmmmm...I'm frantically listening to all the music I missed in 2008 in order to compile my "objectively awesome" end-of-year lists to add to the already clogged interweb festival of those damn things. This process is deceptively complicated...I don't want any regrets come January, like that time in January of 2007 when I discovered how captivating Kevin Federline's record was and realized TV on the Radio had no business being my #1. But it was too late! Bah...that's not actually true--just a hopeless attempt at a joke, which my reviews will have none of because I am a cynical monster.

Anyway, I will make my first legitimate post within the next few weeks as I finalize my Best of '08 lists: Best Albums, Best Songs, and other assorted mischief. I hope they unleash furious debates within my comments section.

Or, maybe I should cross my fingers for a more realistic Christmas miracle: some helpless soul discovers that my scrumtralescent blog exists! What a delight!

Anyway, this blog will consist primarily of music reviews--mainly indie/alt, you know, the obscure stuff they play on college radio. Then, maybe some of my random observations, a few best-of lists scattered throughout the year, analytical historiographical retrospectives on how music has shaped the course of history (pfft!), and rants about my tragic personal life.

That ought to scare the Pitchfork.