Let’s be real with each other… Even the most dedicated Animal Collective followers can’t hide that the critical tide had turned drastically poisonous across the ’10s after seemingly being unable to follow up a wave of acclaim. Their run of albums and EPs from 2004’s Sung Tongs through to 2009’s era-defining Merriweather Post Pavilion (and let’s not forget the outstanding companion EP Fall Be Kind released later the same year) proved to be legendary.
The Baltimore based neo-psych darlings could practically do no wrong in the eyes of indie-alternative bloggers, journalists and music obsessives. 2012’s follow up to Merriweather saw the quartet pushing into noisier and more dense sonic chaos, finding the spiritual successor to their true masterpiece, 2007’s Strawberry Jam.
Even though Centipede Hz is an incredible album – one that desperately needs reappraising – it seemingly wasn’t what fans and critics wanted after the blissful, melodic psych-pop gems that defined its predecessor. 2016’s Painting With pushed back into the opposite direction; their most outright sunshine pop sounding record seemed to be too lacking in their striking experimental flourishes.
To give you an idea of how harshly the critical perception turned, The Quietus’ Lee Arizuno described Painting With as “absolute dogshit from start to finish”. Unscathed, AnCo entered a prolific phase afterwards, exploring much less accessible sounds with a series of trippy experimental droney works and a couple of film scores.
As a dedicated fan myself since the release of Strawberry Jam, I’ve certainly not heard any dogshit in their discography – even during the past decade’s “rough patch”. Animal Collective have always been prolific and have always changed up their sound and methodology.
From the freak-folk of Sung Tongs, the largely synth and electronic leaning Merriweather, and then finding instruments again on Centipede Hz (with Panda Bear doubling up as drummer and vocalist), Animal Collective’s constant reinvention of their sound and bold desire to experiment has always been one of their most exciting assets – even if it doesn’t always land.
If any long standing band has deserved the tides to turn back in their favour, it’s Animal Collective, and fortunately this 13th full length (depending on how you count them) is the album to do it with…
Continue reading on AudioTrail (where review was first posted)