Animal CollectiveMerriweather Post Pavilion
Psychedelic music has often been given a bad rap. Calling a band "psychedelic" usually conjures up images of stoned hippies lying motionless on a floor amidst lava lamps and strobe lights while Pink Floyd plays in the background. This image is unfair, both to hippies and to Pink Floyd, but it nonetheless happens. Animal Collective have, too, often been labeled a psychedelic band. While they are surely odd, they are closer to a pop band than a true freak out affair. They experiment with sound, new technology, voice effects, the works. Yet, at their core is an appreciation of delicious melodies, which are often to be discovered amongst the layers of bells and whistles. Merriweather Post Pavilion is their follow-up to 2006's Strawberry Jam, the first Animal Collective album I truly adored. In comparison, Merriweather is noticeable less immediate than Strawberry Jam; it takes more than a few listens to hear the "hooks", to catch the aforementioned delicious melodies. Its a more subtle and more patient album. Though its equally rewarding and forward-thinking as anything they've done. The band members may playfully identify themselves through pseudonyms--Geologist, Avey Tare, Panda Bear--but by merit alone, they are probably better songwriters than performance artists. Either way you look at it, they are creating some of the most interesting music these days.
