The Phoenix Network:
 
 
 
About  |  Advertise
 
CD Reviews  |  Live Reviews  |  Music Features  |  New England Music News

Review: Animal Collective, Merriweather Post Pavilion

Domino (2009)
By MICHAEL PATRICK BRADY  |  January 6, 2009
2.5 2.5 Stars

091090_ac_main5

Animal Collective began as a band of fringe weirdos, but over time they've dropped the freak from their folk and shed the frenzied noisemaking and impenetrable aura that created much of their early mystique. Merriweather Post Pavilion further smoothes out their sound, and though it's full of cool, orchestrated beauty, it lacks the playfulness and spontaneity that endeared so many to this group.

The best track, "My Girls," starts with a glittering recursive melody over which Panda Bear and Avey Tare unfurl their intricate harmonies, putting a greater emphasis on lyrics here than ever before. The song is a complicated ode to simplicity: "I just want four walls and adobe slabs," they sing, "for my girls," and it all benefits from the implementation of synths and drum machines. Tare wins big with the sweetly sung song of unrequited love, "Bluish"; his vocal recalls some of the finer moments of Feels as it overwhelms the uninspiring, reverb-heavy guitar loop accompaniment.

Overall, though, the move away from organic instrumentation has dampened Animal Collective's spirits; once fluid and anarchic, they've become patterned and precise, unwilling to color outside the lines, more animatronic than animalistic. "Guys Eyes," "Daily Routine," and "Taste" adhere to what becomes a familiar formula: overlapping harmonies and pulsating beats blurring into indistinct memories.

  Topics: CD Reviews , Animal Collective , Merriweather Post Pavilion , My Girls ,  More more >
  • Share:
  • RSS feed Rss
  • Email this article to a friend Email
  • Print this article Print
Comments
Re: Review: Animal Collective, Merriweather Post Pavilion
 As usual your shitty magazine fails with this review.  Do you people even like music?  Do something else for all our sakes.
By srsublime12 on 01/22/2009 at 5:01:34

Today's Event Picks
ARTICLES BY MICHAEL PATRICK BRADY
Share this entry with Delicious

 See all articles by: MICHAEL PATRICK BRADY

MOST POPULAR
RSS Feed of for the most popular articles
 Most Viewed   Most Emailed 



  |  Sign In  |  Register
 
thePhoenix.com:
Phoenix Media/Communications Group:
TODAY'S FEATURED ADVERTISERS
Copyright © 2009 The Phoenix Media/Communications Group