Musical Evolution

Save for vocal harmonies reminiscent of the Beach Boys, Animal Collective have created nine albums in nine years that sound like nothing else ever recorded. Through unrelenting experimentation they have become the progenitors of lo-fi fairy-tale pop, formless noise soundscapes, and tribal psychedelic-folk. With their latest album, Merriweather Post Pavilion, AC have embraced the low-end punch of hip-hop, the hypnotic repetition of house, and the euphoric infectiousness of pop to create something wholly unique once again.

 

The song structures are based on expanding and contracting loops and samples played under the animated and versatile vocal interactions of members nicknamed Avey Tare and Panda Bear. Aural wonders such as the waterlogged rumblings that start "Bluish" or the 8-bit Galaga cascades that stutter across "Daily Routine" create an atmosphere for a pulsing rhythm to swell up in as the dual vocalists leap over each other in soaring melody. The electronic snippets of sound evoke utopian dream-worlds, such as the mystical chirping forest in "In the Flowers".

 

Gone are the slow drones and jittery chords, replaced with layers of upbeat, propulsive percussion and sunshine drenched harmonies. The balance between experimental tendencies and pop conventions has been found, creating a refreshingly eclectic sound with instant appeal. This is the apotheosis of the Collective's ever-increasing pop sensibilities; the two vocalists bounce and breeze in saccharine swirls and soaring anthems while jaunty loops expand and mutate around them. Heavy reverb lends to the sensation that some of the sounds are being transmitted from underwater, which complements the dense production and thick, chugging bass.

 

There's a reason this album is named after an outdoor concert venue in Maryland -- it needs to be blasted, preferably with colossal, organ-rumbling bass. Like any good concert, these songs are meant to be felt, providing blissful physical catharsis through explosions of euphoria. The deep bass and handclaps of "My Girls" climaxes several times with a cymbal rush and ecstatic "Waoo!" that feels like jumping off a pier as a child. Repetition creates tension that can only be relieved by vocal chants and howls.

 

The strong beats weaved throughout give the album a coherence and playability that make it easy to put on repeat. But listening closely to the lyrics reveals a refreshing humanity in their desire for the simple pleasures in life -- a home for one's family, stable friends, shared happiness. In the resplendent album closer "Brothersport", Panda Bear encourages his brother in the wake of their father's death by urging him to "Open up your throat/You've got so much inside/Let it all come out". The beat becomes increasingly joyous, and the infectiousness and positivity of the entire album culminates as the whole thing comes to a close. 

 

What's perhaps most impressive is AC's love for music that has allowed them to continually innovate new sounds over this past decade. They have honed their aesthetic on this album with a clarity of vision, sense of humanity, and staggering creativity that feels rare in the music industry today. Music this fresh and uplifting feels like a blessing.