Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavilion (Album Review)

 

Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavilion

(2009)

My copy: 2009 press by Domino

Animal Collective had brushes with mainstream popularity prior to 2009’s Merriweather Post Pavilion, but their traction easily doubled with the release of this intricately produced synth-pop double album. Now operating without Deakin (who primarily contributed guitar to this point), the trio filed what jagged, dissonant fangs they once bore down into a smooth psychedelic patchwork of tessellating keyboards and Beach Boys harmonies. 

The subtle introductory weave of “In The Flowers” lulls with whispered sweet-nothings and mysterious, beckoning chords - the song at last erupting into a pulsing synthwave waltz that is only eclipsed by Avey Tare’s vocal yearning. While MPP deals more in production, its introduction does boast this songwriting highlight. “My Girls,” their big hit, expertly delays its cheerful chorus, chaining everything down to an endless stream of synth arpeggios. The harmonies are supreme, but it is obvious that their taste in noise experimentation has waned considerably. “Also Frightened” flows in seamlessly, mostly showing off a deepened vocal confidence with performances that slice through the dense layers of gelatinous synth with ease. 

“Summertime Clothes” flirts slightly with distortion in its dense, dreamlike rhythm section - keyboard flourishes later poking holes in walls of sound like god rays passing between thick drapery on a hot summer day, as if the sun itself were requesting an audience. Panda Bear’s “Daily Routine” manages to rekindle and update their early playful side via rapid synth arpeggios that flicker erratically as if to represent a cluster of neurons firing as one awakens to a busy morning; then slowing and stretching into lush drones, giving the spotlight away to the vocals. “Bluish” is the ultimate in synth-pop romance, trading experimentation for sweet sentiments. 

The building repetition and payoff of “Guys Eyes” suits the underlying crude themes quite well but the song pales in the euphoric mantric crescendo of “Taste.” The off-kilter rhythms and exotic instrumentation of “Lion In A Coma” is novel but hardly substantial in practice. The pacing then grinds to a halt with the cutesy-at-best kitsch-at-worst “No More Runnin” which serves as little more than filler. “Brothersport” is the real highlight, combining modern synth-psych melodies with disciplined afro-beat-borrowed repetition, complete with the most animated vocal performances of the album, giving us the best update to the colorful manic episodes of their past. 

As far as breakthrough albums by former indie darlings go, Merriweather Post Pavilion manages to balance old and new gracefully. Sure, once visceral, emotive screams are now replaced by marketable harmonies and relaxed sensibilities but this direction is not wasted on Animal Collective as it would be on others. Instead, Anco ensured their boosted production would help ease them into this mature career midpoint - not as valuable as their scrappier releases, but an elegant step into cooler waters.