War on Pop presents Best Albums of the 2000s: #25 Animal Collective – Merriweather Post Pavilion (2009)

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A few months ago, I wrote an article about Animal Collective, in which I labeled the band as the next Radiohead. In dubbing the band with such an honor, I never intended to predict a path towards simply mainstream success, but more so in terms of influence as a genre-bending group. Animal Collective possesses the rare ability to push the boundaries of music in a way which is sonically experimental and boundary-pushing, while at the same invites listeners to embrace such differences by adding in brilliant moments of familiar convention.

Any artist has the ability to drastically experiment, and any fan can embrace music outside the ‘norm,’ provided that they both approach it with the right mindset. The hard part remains in merging these extremes, bringing the avant-garde just close enough to the center, without alienating listeners, or losing its unique sense of sound. That is where Radiohead succeeded, and what Animal Collective looks to accomplish. And while the group has not exactly made their Kid A just yet, Merriweather Post Pavilion stands as their finest work to date, placing the group in a position to become one of the select few to find the elusive happy-medium between convention and innovation.

Merriweather Post Pavilion stands as the final album what was an extremely productive decade for the band, which included the release of eight full-length albums and four EPs. With each subsequent album, Animal Collective has explored new territories,emphasizing a progression of sound over settling into a regurgitation of what works. Merriweather Post Pavilion, in light of this approach, presents the group’s most focused album, both in terms of a complete work, as well as the re-emphasis on a continual evolution of their sound. While certain songs stand out, such as the quasi-dance groove “My Girls”and the Afro-electronic hybrid “Summertime Clothes,” this album impresses most with its cohesive nature from start to finish.

What surfaces throughout Merriweather Post Pavilion is a drifting sonic haze, where individual textures seamlessly transition in and out during each song, leaving a feeling that the album is one complete work, rather than eleven different songs. In a way, Merriweather Post Pavilion recalls Pet Sounds in both its multi-layered sounds and its cohesive lyrical themes. Although the album falls just short of an iconic stature, the group appears to be well on their way towards creating their magnum opus.