Merriweather Post Pavillion

Animal Collective
Merriweather Post Pavillion
Domino

Chemical or natural? There is a single moment on Merriweather Post Pavillion, after a few lush, watery minutes of introduction, where the music reaches out of the speakers and cracks open reality so that you can see inside, in a way that only Tibetan boddhisativas and LSD-devoted professors usually experience. That moment, called forth with an invocational ‘if I could just leave my body for a night…’ is a genuine landmark in the winding path of music’s history. There is a level of transcendence, of originality, of genius present in that moment on In The Flowers, and on Merriweather in general, that elevates it instantly to the realm of hushed tones. So, is it chemical or natural?

It doesn’t matter. It’s easier for once to talk about this album in terms of what’s it not, rather than what it is. It’s not a retread of anything that has come before. It’s not difficult to engage with, but it’s also not populist in the least. It’s never dull. In fact, over eleven tracks, it comes off as almost too short and leaves a small but inescapable feeling of disappointment that it’s over, in the way that all great albums should. But that’s not to say that it’s unfinished, or imperfect. It’s not. This is Keats’ well-wrought urn manifest, an album genuinely without low points or flaws.

But even out of this consistent brilliance, there come peaks. Besides the aforementioned In The Flowers, My Girls is stunningly beautiful and layered in Panda Bear’s signatory reverb-drenched harmonies, erroneously attributed to the Beach Boys. Lyrically, it’s an affectingly earnest account of the responsibility of providing for family. The evident singalong qualities of the refrain create a strange feeling of intrusion into Panda’s ‘four walls and abode slats’, but the ability to get such basic, instinctive emotions into a song this catchy without coming off as cheesy must be marvelled at.

Summertime Clothes recalls the lyrically-evocative Animal Collective of the days before Panda Bear was a significant songwriting influence, painting a picture of happy and naïve summer days over a seriously danceable pulse. But the next track proves exactly why it was a good idea to give Panda equal air-time. Daily Routine grows out of individual organ squeaks into an arpeggiator-based piece of everyday escapism that dissolves eventually into a slow repetition that’s almost shamanic in texture. Which then gives way to the golden melodies of Bluish. Which then give way to… you get the picture.

It doesn’t let up. The album closes with Brother Sport, tropical and trance-inducing in a way El Guincho could only dream of. After a mid-section of ever-building rhythms and a screaming Avey Tare, the tumult reaches saturation point. The clouds part and a new day dawns. With one of the most smile-inducing melodies you will ever hear, Animal Collective give you two minutes to dance and forget your troubles before the album finally ends. Merriweather Post Pavillion is an album that effects emotions in a very real way, pulling you headlong through nostalgia, hope and the forty shades of joy. I can’t think of another album that is as perfectly executed, as plain perfect as Merriweather Post Pavillion. I would be extremely surprised if this didn’t turn out to be the best album of the year. Or the decade. I’ll stop at that before I say something I might regret later.
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Animal Collective – My Girls video

Animal Collective “My Girls” from Chad von Nau on Vimeo.

The video is a perfection visual manifestation of how the song sounds. It’s one of my favourite tracks off the album, can’t wait to see them in March in Tripod… Expect a lot of gushing in the February issue of Analogue!

The Analogue Album Almanac 2009

Here’s abit of a run down of some brilliant albums you can expect to hear in 2009. I don’t know how far I’ll get with this as I can’t really see into the future… I haven’t included absolutely everything as I don’t really have time right now. Feel free to suggest ones I’ve left out in the comments below.

(Also bear in mind, that these dates are not set in stone and may vary)

January

Animal Collective
Merriweather Post Pavilion
Domino
Release date: 12th Jan

Antony & The Johnsons
The Crying Light
Rough Trade
Release date: 19th Jan

Tracklist:
1. Her Eyes Are Underneath The Ground
2.Epilepsy is Dancing
3. One Dove
4. Kiss My Name
5. The Crying Light
6. Another World
7.,Daylight and the Sun
8. Aeon
9. Dust and Water
10. Everglade

Women
Women
Jagjaguwar
Release date: 23rd Jan

Black Rice Mp3
Group Transport Hall Mp3

Telepathe
Dance Mother
V2
Release date: 26th Jan

Tracklist:
1. So Fine
2. Chrome’s On It
3. Devil’s Trident
4. In Your Line
5. Lights Go Down
6. Can’t Stand It
7. Michael
8. Trilogy: Breath Of Life, Crimes And Killings, Threads And Knives
9. Drugged

February

Built to Spill
Untitled?
Warner
Release date: ?

I know that this is definitely happening some time in early 2009 because Doug Martsch told Darragh after their Whelans gig.

Andrew Bird
Noble Beast
Bella Union
Release date: 2nd Feb

Tracklist:
Oh No
Masterswarm
Fitz and the Dizzy Spells
Effigy
Tenuousness
Nomenclature
Ouo
Not A Robot, But a Ghost
Unfolding Fans
Anonanimal
Natural Disaster
The Privateers
Souverian
On Ho!

Dent May & His Magnificent Ukulele
The Good Feeling Music of Dent May & His Magnificent Ukulele
Paw Tracks
Release date: 3rd Feb

Fol Chen
Part 1: John Shade, Your Fortune’s Made
Asthmatic Kitty
Release date: 3rd Feb

Tracklist:
1. The Believers
2. No Wedding Cake
3. You and Your Sister in Jericho
4. The Idiot
5. Red Skies Over Garden City (The Ballad of Donna Donna)
6. Winter, That’s All
7. Cable TV
8. Please, John, You’re Killing Me
9. The Longer U Wait (Version)
10. If Tuesday Comes

Cable Tv Mp3
The Believers Mp3

Here We Go Magic
Here We Go Magic
Western Vinyl
Release date: ?

Tracklist:
1. Only Pieces MP3
2. Fangela MP3
3. Ahab
4. Tunnelvision
5. Ghost List
6. I Just Want to See You Underwater
7. Babyohbabyijustcantstanditanymore
8. Nat’s Alien
9. Everything’s Big

Asobi Seksu
Hush
Poly Vinyl
Release date: 17th Feb

Tracklist:
01 Layers
02 Familiar Light
03 Sing Tomorrow’s Praise
04 Gliss
05 Transparence
06 Risky and Pretty
07 In The Sky
08 Meh No Mae
09 Glacially
10 I Can’t See
11 Me & Mary
12 Blind Little Rain

Sholi
Sholi
Quarterstick / Touch and Go
Release date: 20th Feb

First Aid Kit
Drunken Trees Ep
Wichita
Release date: 23rd Feb

March

Anni Rossi
Rockwell
4AD
Release date: 13th March

Bonnie Prince Billy
Beware
Domino
Release date: 13th March

Tracklist:
1. Beware Your Only Friend
2. You Can’t Hurt Me Now
3. My Life’s Work
4. Death Final
5. Heart’s Arms
6. You Don’t Love Me
7. You Are Lost
8. I Won’t Ask Again
9. I Don’t Belong to Anyone
10. There Is Something I Have To Say
11. I Am Goodbye
12. Without Work, You Have Nothing
13. Afraid Ain’t Me

There are lots more great albums coming out in 2009. I might update this when I remember/learn of more…

New Animal Collective Album in 2009

One of our writers Dan Grey likes to joke that if you type ‘Animal Collective’ into the Analogue search bar you get about eight articles written by me. What can I say? I am a pathetic and drooling fanboy.

The super-prolific objects of my adoration will be releasing their ninth full length album next January 12th 2009. It has the rather wonderful name of “Merriweather Post Pavillion”, and contains the awesome ‘Brothersport’ which they aired on their current tour, and which for my money could be the greatest single track these guys have done. Bring it!

Here’s the Tracklist

1. In The Flowers
2. My Girls
3. Also Frightened
4. Summertime Clothes
5. Daily Routine
6. Bluish
7. Guys Eyes
8. Taste
9. Lion In A Coma
10. No More Runnin
11. Brothersport

Animal Collective Explain Cancelled Tripod gig

A number of people were quite disappointed last night when the Animal Collective’s show at Tripod was cancelled last night. Fortunately another gig was hastily arranged in Whelans and for the people who made it, it was a great gig. For those who travelled miles and still missed out, Animal collective offer the apology and explanation below (via their myspace).

sorry about all the confusing events of last night. we broke down 3 times on the way from atp to dublin. the first time was around midnight the night before. our fan belt broke so the engine kept overheating. it being the middle of the night and us being in the middle of nowhere, we had to wait until morning before some repair dudes could meet us with the right belt. this made us miss the ferry to dublin that would have gotten us there in time for the original show. we got off the new ferry at 6pm and called the tripod saying if they were willing to push the show back we could get there by 9 or 10, and would set up with no sound check and still play. it was really important to us not to fuck up another dublin gig. but they would not do it. they said the club had a curfew of 10:30 and they couldn’t move it back. they also thought people would have to leave to catch the last train home or something and wouldn’t stay much later than that. so they called the show at tripod- not us. not calling them out or anything, it was beyond anyone’s control and they did what they had to do based on the information they had at the time. they are good people at the tripod, so no hating on them. luckily our merch guy is from ireland so we called around to his friends and asked if they could set up a show for us in under 3 hours and try and get the word out. the band scheduled to play at whelan’s had canceled that morning leaving it open so our friends busted their asses (even sending a van 100km south of the city to pick us up with our gear on the side of the road after the bus broke down for the 3rd time in 24 hours!), and as some of you know, the show happened on the later side and we had a great time. hope those of you that were there did too. we apologize to anyone that didn’t get the new info in time. we tried our best. as of last night tripod said they would refund the tickets. we have heard rumors they are not because they are expecting a make up show soon, but as much as we’d like to, we cannot do another dublin show at the end of this tour. we said we would like to do a make up show for them when we could, but we have no idea when this can happen. so hopefully the refunds will be available. we’re sorry again, but thanks to everyone who made an amazing show happen so quickly and saved us from having to cancel the show altogether. hopefully this will be the end of our bad luck in ireland. we love it there. take care – ac

Also Darragh has been singing the praise of Foggy for giving out free chips to those waiting patiently in line before the rescheduled show.