Animal Collective: Merriweather Post Pavillion

Animal Collective
Merriweather Post Pavillion
by xiao


Now before you jump on me and claim that this album isn't exactly "new," let me just say that I think it happens to be so absolutely damned perfect that it warrants a post despite the fact it came out back in January. Now! On to the review!

Animal Collective is a group of merry men from the United States who seem to be primarily interested in creating the most interesting and unique sounds they possibly can. Their albums differ greatly from each other, as they even switch band members from album to album. Their last effort, Strawberry Jam, was quite a step up for the band, which is really saying a lot in the presence of albums like Feels and Sung Tongs. Strawberry Jam was a wonderful and jarringly tangy pop ride, with songs like "Peacebone", "Fireworks", and "Derek" being some of the band's best. So being a big fan of Strawberry Jam, when I heard about the upcoming Animal Collective record, I was naturally pretty excited.

Once I got my hands on the brightly colored album, what rested inside blew away any expectations I possibly could have had. Merriweather Post Pavillion is Animal Collective's masterpiece, a near perfect album blooming with thundering textures, dizzying layers, clever and sincere lyrics and hauntingly beautiful melodies. "In The Flowers" starts the album off, a complex and dark medley that explodes into sheer bliss a few minutes in, a moment so overwhelmingly energetic and awe-inspiring that it instantly shatters all doubts about the album. From there on, Merriweather is just about as perfect as it's going to get. "My Girls" takes a riff as addictive as crack and slams african drums and a wall of harmonization over it. "Summertime Clothes" is a dizzingly sharp and polished tune, and perhaps the album's most accessable.

Animal Collective isn't happy with just a handful of brilliant songs, however. "Daily Routine" and "Bluish" both continue the album's streak, and "Taste" is perhaps the best song on the album. It all ends with an energetic twist in "Brother Sport", which is already a fan favorite. This is without doubt the best album of 2009 yet. I would list some highlights right about here, but this is one of those albums where literally any song off of it could be your favorite, so let me put this politely:

Buy this album or I will hunt you down and kill you.