It took all of six days in 2009 for Animal Collective to release Merriweather Post Pavilion, but it's pure brilliance from start to finish. But don't take my word for it. Sample some of the reviews aggregated by Metacritic:
Merriweather finds one of the most talented, most creative pop bands finally and gloriously figuring it all out....
What’s more important is that Merriweather Post Pavilion is not just one of the finest things you’re going to hear in 2009 but that it should sit well next to albums like Kid A on lists of the best music made in our time....
Has the album of 2009 been unleashed in January? I can’t see anything else coming near it....
Is Merriweather Post Pavilion the flawless album that it's been willed to be? Taken as a whole I'd say it's pretty damn close....
I tried to get into some of the previous AC albums and couldn't. Too experimental and just plain weird sounding to me. But when Panda Bear released Person Pitch a few years ago, it was full of glorious Brian Wilsonesque melodies, and was a taste of Animal Collective could do if they tried to a mainstream album that still sounded like Animal Collective. They succeeded.
The universally loved tracks are going to be 'My Girls', 'Summertime Clothes', and 'Brother Sport', with 'Lion in a Coma', 'In the Flowers', and 'No More Running' probably in the second tier. But it's really a joy to listen to from start to finish. The middle section, which sometimes feels a little long, is the very slight sour that makes the sweet extra sweet. And like the Beach Boys at their best, the melodies are pure cane sugar. Whether it was a conscious decision to make an album for the masses, or just serendipity, the result is near perfect joyous pop.
Give it a few listens to take effect. It's best to listen to it a few times while you're working. Sooner or later, it will all click.
Here are My Girls and Brother Sport.
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