Animal Magnetism

Over the years Animal Collective have gotten good at a couple of things: relentless experimentation/ reinvention and simultaneously approaching and shirking familiarity. It is clear that they want to be perceived both as a pop band and an experimental band. But any definition beyond that would be, I think, futile. They’ve done folk, they’ve done noise, they’ve done indie rock and now, on Merriweather Post Pavilion, they are trying for a sort of electronic pop. But this style relies much more on indie peers like Caribou than traditional techno or dance acts and is as much Beach Boys as anything else. Also, for once I think they’ve made a record that will appeal to their devoted fans as much as their first-time listeners.

It is immediately apparent that Animal Collective put a lot of time and effort into this record. Its epic flavor first hits you around 2:30 on the first track, “In the Flowers” – the sound changes from a tense mix of flanged noises and ominous arpeggios to a thick wall of stuttered chords backed by an insistent tom-tom rhythm and occasional percussive flares drenched in reverb. When the style changes back you know something has happened – the band wants you to feel impressed, even intimidated. They want you to know you are in the midst of something epic.

Merriweather Post Pavilion is a diligently crafted piece of work. But, that being said, it isn’t untouchable. There are places that don’t stand out. The chorus of “My Girls” struck me as a little annoying and overly naïve. “Bluish” doesn’t deliver enough to earn its five minutes and twenty seconds. It is backed by a scarce phased guitar part and when the piano comes in it ends up sounding just a bit too dreamy. The same might be said of “No More Runnin.” But these criticisms are entirely out of proportion with the true scope of the record. Animal Collective have done something admirable here in creating a music that is full and detailed and intelligent but still lighthearted and catchy. For all its ambition, the record never approaches a “progressive” or “conceptual” style. I think the band would appreciate a comparison (albeit one drained of much of its meaning by overuse) to the Beach Boys’ Pet Sounds.

The best tracks are those verging on the upbeat with catchy stretched out (and often harmonized) vocal melodies. “My Girls,” “Summertime Clothes,” and “Brother Sport” will stand up as hipster pop classics. These tracks verge on the kind of tropical appeal advanced recently by artists like El Guincho, Vampire Weekend, Abe Vigoda, and especially (Animal Collective’s own) Panda Bear. I think fans will especially appreciate the subtle accentual frills on the album: the sticks on “In the Flowers,” the quick robotic-sounding keyboard flare on “Daily Routine,” the melodic yelps on “Brother Sport.” There’s a lot here and I couldn’t possibly tell you about all of it. But I’m sure everyone who buys Merriweather Post Pavilion will be happy to find it out on their own.