#15 – Animal Collective – Merriweather Post Pavilion
Merriweather Post Pavilion, named after a music venue in Maryland, is one of the more unique Animal Collective records. I think it is easily the most accessible record that they have made throwing in just enough of the squealing animal noises for an album that is much more electronic and much less reliant on drums and percussion.
With Josh Deakin on a leave from the band, the other three members soldiered on redefining themselves in the process. Instead of being limited, we see a band trying to redefine the music scene. While there was some sacrifice of their initial art sound, the album had a very underwater psychaedelic feel to it.
Consider a song like “My Girls” which was their lead single on the album, the song becomes a mantra, “I just want 4 walls and adobe slats for my girls”, i.e. while material possessions are nice, I have very simple priorities, and that is the safety and security of my family. It brings upon a very simplistic hippy element, that while our lives are being controlled by entertainment there are some very simple aspects to happiness.
There are also songs that have hit me personally. ‘Bluish’ for instance was the song that that my wife walked down the aisle to. I think it was one of the first song that after hearing it just felt like her.
I also still remember hearing it for the first time and stating to my wife that this would be one of the best albums of 2008. I still remember walking around the neighborhood back then with my iPod on back in January 2008 and you would see either fresh snow or sub zero temperatures and there was a certain warmth listening to this album, as if you were alway dreaming about wearing your summertime clothes.
It would be the album to start with when it comes to Animal Collective. It brings all the elements together in a perfect picture. In a way, the title of the album is suggestive enough in that a music pavilion brings people together in the same way that this album does. It’s an album that you want to hear played in the middle of 50,000 screaming fans on a summer night being in that atmosphere and that moment alone with the sound drowning out everything else would be the price of admission.