I’ll be honest – I never download full albums by a band at once. I like going song by song, slowly savoring each aspect of the record over time. But when I heard Animal Collective’s “My Girls” from their January release Merriweather Post Pavilion, I was tempted to purchase the record in its entirety. So I did.
Merriweather Post Pavilion starts with “In the Flowers”, a song both saturated with electronic shimmers and sprinkled with organic sounds of drips and taps.
The next song, “My Girls”, my personal favorite, utilizes a similar formula: dense electronics juxtaposed with claps and tribal-like drums. Avey Tare’s voice reverberates the echoing message, “I just want four walls and adobe slabs for my girls” above the subtle jingling rhythm. While it’s certainly not conventional, I can assure it’s catchy enough to transcend normality.
Another favorite, the album’s fifth track “Daily Routine”, begins with what appears to be haphazard synth explosions that seem to mentally inspire fireworks and blend together behind the resounding, “Just a sec more in my bed…”
Track nine, “Lion in a Coma” upholds the chanted lyrics with a bouncing beat, and soon enough declares, “There’s wilderness up in my head”, a phrase that’s definitely reflected in the song’s engaging quirkiness.
Merriweather Post Pavilion ends on an appropriate high note with “Brother Sport”, a lively, upbeat song that manages to sum up the album’s entire aura – capturing Animal Collective’s signature idiosyncrasy and lightheartedness.
I was pleasantly surprised, noting the definite but subtle shift in Animal Collective’s style, but I certainly have no regrets.