ANIMAL COLLECTIVE – MERRIWEATHER POST PAVILION

Step into the world of Animal Collective. A sort of psychedelic mammal mishmash that conjures images of an Alice In Wonderland inspired paradise. The eleven tracks of their new album engulf and transfer the listener into a refreshingly different place in a way that makes it hard to step back into reality.
The four-piece, all school friends hailing from Baltimore, are as innovative and unique as their take on music. Their adopted pseudonyms; Geologist, Panda Bear, Avey Tare and Deakin (or Brian, Noah, David and Josh..) connote that, much like the likes of Florence Welsh, the band really live and breathe this fantasy noise rock haven - as opposed to it being some fickle and cynical marketing ploy.

The album is the band's fourth release since 2000 and typically unconventionally, each track may have been made of any combination of the four members. Tracks like ' My Girls', first release from the album, and 'In the Flowers' stand out, with their trademark style- as with most of the album - sounding like the endearing vocals and electro persuasions of bands like Hot Chip and MGMT, had they been remixed by dark electronica songwriter Leila.

With tracks about lions in comas and lyrics like /I'm getting lost in your curls/ the bands experimental take on electro and bubble of creativity is difficult not to be intoxicated by. Similarly, Merriweather Post Pavilion's description as 'Best Album of 2009' from many critics, whilst seemingly premature as we're only one month in to the New Year, seems well deserved.

As Animal Collective embark on an intense tour across the US, UK and Europe from the end of February right up to headlining New York's All Tomorrow's Parties Festival in September, their unusual whirlwind world will no doubt bring a welcomed dose of unreality to the rest of us.

By Laura Routledge

Rating: 9/10
Format: Album
Release Date: Out Now
Label: Domino
www.myspace.com/animalcollectivetheband

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