“omgz, the best record of 2009!!” really?
is this what “indie rock” is going to be sounding like? is this the creative peak of “new weird america?” i’m already worn out with this whole chamber pop/incessant-brian-wilson aping that’s been going on for the past two-three years, i’m not sure if i can really hold out for much longer. sure, animal collective have helped to pioneer this shift in style more than anyone else (this is their ninth album, after all), but they should also help to bring it to new places. in a world of grizzly bears, abe vigodas, deerhunters, and panda bears there’s a great pressure on AC to deliver the goods, and when certain animal collective members are making much more engaging music on their own, how can this record really measure up? for what it’s worth, AC do try to change things up a bit, particularly by crafting colourful, pulsating numbers that draw you into their surrealistic world, and by taking it easy with the meandering psychedelia. here they’ve learned to temper their psychedelic tendencies with really earthy, tribal beats, which i feel are significantly responsible for the massive amount of attention they’ve received for this album. it’s danceable, and people are always drawn to that. i’m concerned though, that people like this record only because it’s safe and familiar, not because they’re actually going to be listening to it more than a month from now, since there’s nothing here that we haven’t seen before. merriweather post pavillion is by no means a terrible album, but it isn’t very impressive either. i may grow to like it more once i can look back on it, but even then i think i’ll fail to see what all the hype is about.
Filed under: Album Review , 2009, animal collective, merriweather post pavillion
Unfortunately in agreement here, though it’s been growing on me around listen 3-4. And you’re right about Person Pitch.
yeah it’s been growing on me the more i listen to it as well. this is a really hard record to review, because the hype for it is almost inescapable, and like slumdog millionaire, it probably won’t live up to it. i felt similarly when in rainbows came out, so i avoided buying it until a year later, and it held up quite well. this, i’m not so sure.
it’s unfortunate that this review is a bit reactionary to all of the hype, but i can’t help but be a bit underwhelmed with this album with all the sweeping things that are being said. it’s a good album, and i think i’m almost being forced to look for the elements that supposedly make it a “pop masterpiece” or “indie crossover” rather than enjoying it for what it is.