Today’s lesson:  if you have a music blog, don’t say anything less than glorifying about whatever Animal Collective just dropped, lest you want to feel the fury of indie rock dorks.  It’s understandable.  As far as I know, The Decibel Tolls is the only blog, or media in general anywhere, that didn’t find Merriweather Post Pavilion boner-inducing while traditionally praising the group in the past.  It’s also the second most viewed post on this blog of all time.  Far out.  Some selected comments from the review and my responses behind the jump…

“also frightened” the best song? really?? don’t get me wrong, I like it but it’s one of the lesser entries on this album… that is to say one of the least memorable tracks… Hopefully you’ll do yourself a favor and withhold judgment before you listen to it a few more times.

You have a different opinion than mine? Really??  Don’t get me wrong, I understand that not everyone can agree on everything (Israel and Hamas lol), but the fact that “Brothersport” doesn’t blow your dome open like it does mine is a real cockpunch and it’s just like… ya know, woah dude.  uR a MoRon, KeNnY bLoGgiNs.  Legalize weed 420.

No, but seriously, I’ve listened to it a few more times with an open mind, and I feel pretty much the same as I did when I liveblogged my first listen.  There are both flashes of brilliance and flashes of banality.  Again, this is just one dude’s opinion, and it’s the dissenting one.  MPP is good, but not great.  To me, it seemingly leaves out a lot of the sonic exploration that made Feels and Danse Manitee so intriguing.

Brothersport sounds absolutely nothing like “under the sea” which is a stab at Caribbean, not African, music.

Yes it does.

I received a few other comments, and even some letters directed to me.  Perhaps I’ll address those another day.  In the interim, I wrote a different review (with similar slant) for LEO Weekly, and that shizz will hit newsstands thoughout Metro Louisville this Wednesday. Looking forward to additional correspondence about that one, too.

To give you, dear readers, a better idea of where I’m coming from, I’ve included a track that represents what I love about Animal Collective and why Merriweather Post Pavilion just didn’t do it for me.  No, my opinion isn’t “wrong” for not liking it, I just enjoy AC’s more headfucky and funky material, like this choice live rendition “Country Fuck” (later known as “Turn Into Something” that closed out Feels). The 7-minute zone out coda here is, for my taste, better than everything on MPP.  If that’s not your bag, then neither is this blog, so I guess go touch weiners with the Stereogum dudes over a Blitzen Trapper jam or somethin’.

Anyway, this was recorded on April 30, 2005, a very fond memory of mine.  The concert was sponsored by UK’s college radio station WRFL 88.1 the year I was general manager.  All of the show’s helping hands, with the exception of two, went M.I.A. (as in missing, not as in that chick from British India who keeps her lips perpetually persed and rocks out hip-hop for NPR listeners), so I was pretty proud that we pulled the show off without a hitch, especially after it sold out.  Getting a personalized concert by hanging out in front of the stage for the sound czech was beyond amazing and pretty much made everything worth it. And enjoying Ariel Pink as an opener was almost too much awesome to take in.  But you know what’s funny… at the time, a lot of people seemed to find both Ariel Pink and Animal Collective “unlistenable,” as in, we lost a chunk of the crowd halfway through the show. It’s strange to think now, but I wasn’t surprised at the time, since there wasn’t much of Sung Tongs material played.  How the paradigm shifts, I suppose.

The University of Kentucky is a dry campus, and as WRFL is student-funded, we were obliged to, ya know, not provide beer on the band’s rider.  So after the show, my friend John Edwards (no relation to the cheatin’ dog politician or the psychic medium) and I brought both Animal Collective and Ariel Pink to our favorite bar, Buster’s. The guys were super pleasant, as they were the second time I ran into them during their show while under the employ of The Dame in May of ‘07, where they premiered the majority of Strawberry Jam.  Noah helped me hang up and straighten a couple of large posters as I tried to get the concert hall looking spiffy for a most excellent show.  I like Animal Collective as people as well as artists.  Just not Merriweather Post Pavilion so much.

Okay… a little long winded, yes, but I wanted to provide the history and nostalgia behind said MP3.  I’m including an Ariel Pink track, too – not just because they opened the aforementioned show, but because it’s called “Crying” and I wanted to dedicate it to the haters.

MP3:::
Animal Collective – Country Fuck/Turn Into Something (Live @ ArtsPlace, 4.30.05)
Ariel Pink – Crying

Before we begin, do you know who this is in the photo above?  No?  Why, it’s Marjorie Merriweather Post, the founder of General Foods, Inc.  Though she enjoyed a lavish lifestyle and socialite existence, the cereal magnate also subscribed to the Rockefeller school of philanthropic thought and donated tons of money to various causes, eventually getting an outdoor concert pavilion in Maryland named after her and, ergo, an album I’m getting ready to pop on the ghetto blaster.

So anyway, you know the drill.  When I grip a new and anticipated jam hive, I like to review it in “real time”… that is to say, I fuckin’ listen to that shizz and liveblog my thoughts on it, only revising for grammatical errors and editorial clarity. Today, Animal Collective’s forthcoming Merriweather Post Pavilion gets said treatment.  It comes out on Domino on January 20th in digital format, January 6th on analog (vinyl).  Unfortunately, you get no preview for yourself, as I got Web Sheriffed on Christmas.  Christmas!

I’ll try to keep this objective.  However, I’ve been a huge Animal Collective fan since I first heard “Slippi” from Here Comes the Indian roughly… I dunno, five years ago or so.  Hence, I have rather strong feelings toward this music, lots of nostalgia, and high expectations. This does, however, usually make for a better write-up.  My prediction – Strawberry Jam seemed to act as a bridge between Animal Collective’s weirdo rippin’ and the newer pop movements showcased in their recent live performances and, of course, Panda Bear’s solo outing.  I expect Merriweather to be AC’s most accessible release yet, for better or worse. 

Alright, let’s do this like Buddhists.  Mashin’ play:

“In the Flowers” - Begins in a flurry of somewhat disjointed sound, much like “Peacebone,” and well, “Did You See the Words,” too.  Perhaps this is the standard exposition for an Animal Collective release as of late. The faint, reverberated clean guitars that defined a lot of Feels come back before the track explodes into epic bombasticity.  Avey Tare sings in his absolute most melodic, soaring above a bed of piano, chopped string ensemble samples (or at least what sounds like such), and a lush, shoegazing wall of sounds.  Almost has a classic rock feel, come to think of it…

“My Girls” – Twinkly and glitchy samples introduce “My Girls,” which doesn’t derive too much from the live renditions of “House” heard over the past year or so, with exception of a greater vocal presence in the mix.  “My Girls” is a quite traditional verse-chorus structure, which is unusual for AC.  The lyrics are some of the least cryptic, tackling the important topic of takin’ care of you and yours.  After the second chorus, handclaps come in at perfect 4/4 time, solidifying the Collective’s first dance club banger. Similar to much of Strawberry Jam, “My Girls” is sample heavy and devoid of guitars.

“Also Frightened” – This is the first song that I’ve really enjoyed thus far.  “Also Frightened” is Animal Collective’s expansive circus chanty, with twinkly arcade pings in tow.  Enjoy equal throat duty from Avey and Panda over a waltzy rhythm and a Barrett like melody.  Best of the batch, so far.  Love the polyphonic vocal breaks.  Reminiscent of The Soft Bulletin.

Verdict:

“Summertime Clothes” – Fuzzy, grimy, bit-crushed, rigidly rhythmic samples kick start “Summertime Clothes,” originally known as “Bearhug.”  Big treble-riding beats drop in with mechanical Kraftwerkesque flourishes and Lee Scratch Perry reverb, cultivating a definite dubstep vibe.

“Daily Routine” -  Quite different from the live version.  Lots of booty bass, dense dance beats, and some strange glitchy organ swells reminiscent of “Baba O’Reiley” all build to a small crescendo before breaking into the first ambient moment of the record, featuring Panda singing “just a sec more, in my beeeeeeed” repetitively.  Another song about how rad kids are.  Not into this, save for Panda’s exceptional vocal intro.  The rest is way too Paul Oakenfold for my taste, though.

“Bluish” – Serious 4AD vibe… Dead Can Dance and Cocteau Twins specifically.  First AC song that most people would consider “pretty.”  This song is, actually, the most gorgeous, melodic output from Animal Collective ever… but at the expense of not really sounding like them.  Such branching out is very respectable though, and I always applaud experimentation and tweaking.  However, older fans may scratch their head on this record thus far.  I actually really enjoy this song, despite the somewhat corny vibe.

“Guys Eyes” – Aquatic textures and a cricket sound open the track, conjuring the bucolic soundscape that defines Sung Tongs.  With the rhythmic piano, syncopated beats, and two separate vocal melodies sung simultaneously, this is the closest to older Animal Collective on this album.

“Taste” - The total Panda Bear experience.  Person Pitch strikes back.  Sample organic percussion mixed with faint vocals and a sugary hook – this is obviously Noah’s track.  Actually, it seems that Noah has really taken over a lot of the creative direction with this record.  We know he’s really into dubstep and electronic exploration, loves Daft Punk, and enjoys a really good vocal harmony or two.  Personally, I like the play of the ying and yang between Avey and Panda, following the long tradition of ol’ Lennon and the Mac.  We’ve yet to hear Avey lose his shit as he’s wont to do, even on Strawberry Jam.  Regardless, AC ups the psychedelic vibe on this one, so I really enjoy this track.  Second favorite thus far, behind “Also Frightened.”

“Lion in a Coma” – I wasn’t a fan of this song when I first heard it live.  The recorded version is almost exactly the same, with the exception of a prominent didgeridoo sample and a full embrace of low end.  Good soundtrack for goin’ on safaris.  Unfortunately, I never go on safaris.

“No More Runnin’” – Zounds!  A ballad?  Intimate piano and vocals adorn this song almost exclusively, with the exception of a little bit of sonic manipulation from the Geologist.  This tracks sounds like it comes straight from Sigur Ros’ ().  The repeating of the song’s title, mixed with the slow tempo piano, is total Kiss FM style.  This majorly bums me out.

Verdict:

“Brother Sport” – Oh no, this is horrible. The tribal chant sounds like Sebastian the Lobster’s “Under the Sea” from The Little Mermaid.  This would be the perfect song for the dolphin show at the Louisville Zoo.  What the fuck, dudes?  Befouled!  Leave the stupid African vibe to Vampire Weekend, please.  I don’t know why Animal Collective turned into World Party in the album’s last quarter.  The final track is especially heavy on the 8-bit sound effects, invoking sadness for no longer having my old Nintendo.  To top it off, the song features this sort of beat that reminds me of the oft-utilized old school hip-hop “whoo!.. yeah!” sample.  Everybody dance now.  “I know it sucks that daddy’s dumb” is an amusing lyric, though.  Somebody was seriously baked.

I feel kinda bad for raggin’ on the last few songs, espeically after having worked two of their shows in the past and experiencing their (very refreshing) humility, politeness, and gingerly nature first hand.  But I had to be honest – the first half ruled, the second half… ehhh.  However, I’ll still buy this record when it comes out, see them play live, and support them to the maxxx… so it’s all zero-sum in the end.  Wavy gravy.

Final thoughts…

Despite their former and refreshing strangeness over the past decade, Animal Collective has reached the point of deafening critical praise wherein people of all tastes will listen.  This is totally deserved for a group as prolific and eclectic as Animal Collective.  However, Merriweather Post Pavilion, the group’s ninth offering, will probably provide their first truly polarizing record, though not in the way their earlier albums were polarizing.

Gone are the drone examinations, freak folk structures, and Avey Tare’s shamanistic yelps, now replaced with dub-informed booty bass, dance rhythms, and polyphonic vocal harmonies.  Merriweather Post Pavilion features a lot of firsts for the group, and as such, I offer nothing but respect for their daring – piano ballads, dream pop, shoegazing, dub, trance, and more are all explored.  In addition, their earlier approaches to songwriting are peppered throughout Merriweather: the sunny melodies of Strawberry Jam, the grating glitch of Here Comes the Indian and Spirit They’re Gone, Spirit They’ve Vanished, the bombast of Feels, the found-sounds and bellyhoo of Campfire Songs, and… well, nothing really from Sung Tongs.  So it’s an almost retrospective.  Regardless, it’s the tight compositions, catchy song-based structures, and completely dominate vocal tracks that are ubiquitously showcased throughout.  Newer Animal Collective fans will be pleased and impressed with the seamless amalgamation of sonically adventurous ideas and pop music, combining the bit-crushing texture of earlier works with the beat-heavy, soaring polyphonic melodies of Panda Bear’s sophomore solo record Person Pitch.  Fans of Sung Tongs and before, however, will scratch their heads wondering where their strange friends went.

Merriweather Post Pavilion is an enjoyable listen and certainly the next logical next step in context of Animal Collective’s trajectory, adding increasing pop sensibility with each release.  Animal Collective has still held their place in the top tier of contemporary artists.  Unfortunately, this new artistic statement is not the envelope-pusher that the experimentation of Here Comes the Indian and Feels offered.

Of course, the innate issue with the “Real Time Review” that should be addressed is that these thoughts are my initial impression and my opinion may change over time.  But right now, I feel pretty ambivalent overall.  There are flashes of brilliance (the first quarter of the album), and segments of banality (the last quarter of the album).  Perhaps I simply miss the old freaky-deeky Animal Collective I’ve known and loved.  Perhaps it’ll grow on me over time.  “Also Frightened” is the tits, though.

Fagen-Becker Quality Rating:

MP3 :::
Animal Collective – Web Sheriff Won’t Let Me Post Nothin’, So Enjoy a Sick Jam By Mr. T About How Awesome He Thinks His Mom Is

I was able to grip a little bit of Merriweather Post Pavilion, the new slam jam from Animal Collective, earlier this evening.  Enjoy the tracks until I will (probably) receive a visit from the Web Sheriff in the next couple of days, in which case and coinciding with my better judgment, I shall remove said content…

UPDATE 12.25: OH SNAP! WEB-SHERIFFED!

It would take a pretty awesome album cover to get its own post. And the album cover for the forthcoming Animal Collective album Merriweather Post Pavilion gets that honor.

The Magic Eye company spent years releasing optical illusion picture books that didn’t fuckin’ work! And it only took AC one try to get the wavy surrealism tip right. Man, this rules. I can’t stop staring at it. I’m trying to get my reviews of Religious Knives and Hush Arbors written today, but all I can do is stare at this thing. You guys enjoying this? I’m enjoying this.

Man… that’s kwaa-zeee! I wonder if it glows under blacklight as well?

Drops 1.20.09 courtesy of Domino. Traxxxx:

1. In the Flowers
2. My Girls
3. Also Frightened
4. Summertime Clothes
5. Daily Routine
6. Bluish
7. Guys Eyes
8. Taste
9. Lion in a Coma
10. No More Runnin
11. Brother Sport

In other news completely unrelated to Animal Collective, my Yelp review for one of my favorite local eateries is the Review of the Day today at Yelp Chicago. Bloggins power!

MP3 :::
Animal Collective – Daily Routine (Live at Pitchfork)

All the news that’s fit to print…

The Animal Collective website is rather mystifying today. You have the typeface and album art of Spirit They’re Gone, Spirit They’ve Vanished / Danse Manitee (with the mysterious words “Merriweather Post Pavilion” and “January”) plastered across the index.html, coupled with an awesome but inexplicable fish video thing.

Merriweather Post Pavilion, as per Google, is a rather large outdoor amphitheater outside Baltimore. Since January outdoor concerts in Maryland are none too successful, and AC probably can’t fill 17,000 seats, this might be the title of the new jam hive. And that would make sense, too – as the pavilion is named after Majorie Merriweather Post, the heiress of the Post Cereal fortune, continuing the theme of breakfast established with Strawberry Jam. See?

Are we in store for a toast, cereal, orange juice concept album suite? Totally hope so. Anyway, if Animal Collective history is any indication, expect some of the included fan favorite MP3s to make their way onto the new album, if this is indeed what AC’s website is trying to express. Of course, it’s also entirely possible that Merriweather Post Pavilion could be the name of (or tangentially have something to do with) Animal Collective’s film project. Both are possibilities, but in the meantime, I’m going to enjoy the fish.

See Asobi Seksu Rock Show Okay Fun! My business associate Tiny Mix Tapes is reporting that the neo-shoegaze giants will spend the latter half of this month sugar-coating the U.S. without much of a break. Good to see ‘em back! Though Citrus has been out on disc for a little while, it’s finally getting the vinyl treatment on November 25th (the same day Chinese Democracy drops… ZOMG!!1) courtesy of Friendly Fire. Keep creepy Rivers Cuomo away from the following venues on the following dates:

10.17.08 – Annandale-on-Hudson, NY – Bard College
10.18.08 – Boston, MA – T.T. the Bear’s
10.19.08 – Montreal, QC – TBA
10.20.08 – Toronto, ON – Horseshoe
10.21.08 – Cleveland, OH – Grog Shop
10.22.08 – Chicago, IL – Empty Bottle
10.24.08 – Denver, CO – Hi Dive
10.25.08 – Salt Lake City, UT – Kilby Court
10.27.08 – Seattle, WA – Nectar
10.28.08 – Vancouver, BC – Media Club
10.29.08 – Portland, OR – Holocene
10.30.08 – San Francisco, CA – Rickshaw Stop
10.31.08 – Los Angeles, CA – TBA

Finally, you know by now that the Decibel Tolls pledges Kranky Uber Alles every morning. Brainwaves Fest will be taking over the Regent Theater in Boston around turkey time (November 21-23), and is honoring the 15th anniversary of the against-the-current formidable force with an impressive roster of sick folk and old hippies, including but not limited to Silver Apples, Borduf Songs, Benoit Pioulard, Major Stars, Matmos, His Name is Alive, Lichens, and more.

That’s all I got. I’ll write more creative entries tomorrow. I’m tired and I’ve more business to attend to.

MP3 :::
Animal Collective – Bearhug
Animal Collective – Lion in a Coma
Asobi Seksu – New Years
Silver Apples – Misty Mountain
Benoit Pioulard – Ragged Tint
Boduf Songs – I Can’t See a Thing in Here