Pitchfork

Last night, Motormouth Media and Domino Records held a listening party for Animal Collective's hotly anticipated new album, Merriweather Post Pavilion. The listening party took place at the River Room at 145th street in Harlem, an unusual location (some sort of wedding hall / private reception room) with great views of the city, but rather harsh sound. The bass boomed and cracked throughout the LP, and there was a lot of bass to listen through, and to listen around. I couldn't catch many of their lyrics, but I was able to tell right off that Animal Collective have really embraced their low end on this record.

Merriweather Post Pavilion is out January 20, 2009 in the U.S. and January 12 in the UK.

01 "In The Flowers": This track, like many others, begins with ambient sounds; here, they are reminiscent of the dinosaur ride at Epcot Center. A carousel melody waves in and out, and a recurring theme is established early on: "If I could just leave my body for a minute." Sonically, there's another recurring motif: cranking, machine-like low end with organic, animal-like instruments dancing on top.

02 "My Girls": This is a dense, packed track. It has an ethereal opening of pulsing violins that stays above the song throughout. "My Girls" has a cool triplet beat and a pretty, plaintive vocal melody with all the guys singing it as a round. And hand claps somewhere in there too. A standout.

03 "Also Frightened": Another big low-end track, with a slower melody. It might be the first Animal Collective waltz. Many lines start off with "Will it be just like..." Eerie vocal sighs finish it off.

04 "Summertime Clothes": One of the best things about Merriweather Post Pavilion is that it sounds like an Animal Collective remix album. And "Summertime Clothes" is its best remix candidate. Street and mechanical noises segue into a dance-worthy (or at least, bounce-worthy) beat.

05 "Daily Routine": Keyboard notes keep speeding up until they connect. There are beatless (not Beatles) passages, and a sort of bomb drop part-way through.

06 "Bluish": Wooshing water starts off this track, continuing the slippery, fluid feel of the record. This one's nearly all bass and a Simon and Garfunkel vocal harmony, slow and breathy.

07 "Guys Eyes": The noise that starts this one is how I think giants would talk, though I'm guessing it's one or more Animal Collective members' voices' slowed down and scratched up. Another super packed track, with a low, halting beat and sticks and twigs percussion. The main thump directs the lighter ticks and flicks. It ends with "What I want to!" repeated over and over again, trading off with double-timed thumps.

08 "Taste": A slower, lumbering track with whiny synth. The line they repeat, "Am I really all the things that are outside of me?" seems to be the second half of "In the Flowers"'s desire to leave the body behind. A bent, cascading bass note adds a nice touch. Just another way they keep the record fluid and limber.

9. "Lion in a Coma": Didgeridoo opens and closes this one. The best pop song on the album.

10. "No More Runnin": A bit of a ballad, full of light, watery instruments. But it's still got a solid, thumping, five-note bass melody that zips across your ears. They repeat the title line over and over again to finish the track.

11. "Brothersport": As Pitchfork.tv's Eavvon O'Neal observed, "It's from the Lion King." It does have a child-like, cutesy melody with a command to "Open up your / open up your / open up your / door!" One long vocal-less part sounded like it needed "ooh ooh"s. Then, two bars later, Animal Collective obliged. Another favorite.

Animal Collective:

11-06 Santiago, Chile - Industria Cultural
11-08 São Paulo, Brazil - Planeta Terra Festival
11-09 Buenos Aires, Argentina - La Trastienda
11-13 Lima, Peru - Centro Fundación Telefónica