Merriweather Post Pavillion" rains on dedicated fans' parade

                From deep in the jungle of Baltimore, Maryland, the members of Animal Collective have been the leaders of the neo-psychedelic scene for nearly a decade. Now, one year after they received national recognition on "Late Night with Conan O'Brien," these weathered noisemakers have released their ninth LP, "Merriweather Post Pavillion" (2009).
    Years ago, Animal Collective produced lo-fi sounds that fell under the banner of "freak folk." After collaborating with folk legend Vashti Bunyan on an EP in 2005, however, Animal Collective blossomed within the still-small arena of experimental folk. Their style was sparse and often tedious, but included a happily serene demeanor.
    Soon, Animal Collective began experimenting with samplers, synthesizers and lots of delay. The result was 2007's masterpiece "Strawberry Jam," which left fans wondering how the band could possibly live up to its own standard. The answer, it appears, was to do it again.
    One element of Animal Collective's mysticism was its ability to create a new, unheard genre with each release. But "Merriweather Post Pavillion," while still a musical success, does not do anything drastically new and sounds like a mellower extension of "Strawberry Jam." Only long-term fans will be disappointed, though; for other listeners, the album will still represent the musical fringe.
    However, despite its "fringe" status, "Merriweather Post Pavillion" is suspiciously easy to swallow. There is not a harsh note in the entire album, and layered vocals glide over wet, bass-heavy beats — one surprising new element in Animal Collective's repertoire. Nearly every song on the album is grounded by deep trip-hop rhythms, which make them almost palpable for the listener.
    














These beats reveal Animal Collective's true pop sensibilities, which will no doubt earn perky new followers and anger those who love them for their earlier spaced-out, fly-away sounds. But both new and old enthusiasts won't be able to deny the satisfaction of hearing these blissfully danceable songs.
    In "Merriweather Post Pavilion's" single, "My Girls," Animal Collective seems to take a preemptive strike against critical fans who may charge the band with selling out. The lyrics make a frank statement to the listener and justify why the band cares about material things. Vocalists Avey Tare and Panda Bear explain in billowing sing-song, "With a little girl and by my spouse/ I only want a proper house."
    Avey Tare and Panda Bear's families are directly referenced in several other songs, which illuminates the overall feeling of joy and love in the album. At least half of the tracks are love songs, but they are so genuinely festive and light that no cold-hearted hipster can complain.
    With the themes of peace and love at the forefront of the album, Animal Collective proves itself to be a psychedelic band. The album's cover art produces an illusion of movement an unmistakable ode to LSD and the echo and warping effects make vocal and instrumental sound bites disorienting. However, such distortion tricks are old hat for the band, which makes this album seem less remarkable than Animal Collective's more freshly
eclectic work.
    The highlight of the album is its closer, "Brothersport." As usual, the band's vocals become indecipherable between lucid chants of "Open up your throat," a nod to the pleasure of,
ahem, singing.
    Other songs on the album are a celebration of the band's independence from mainstream expectations. Each track reliably offers creative structure mixed with steady pop- and hip-hop-inspired beats, but it is this reliability that blurs the distinctness of each song as well as the album's unique place in Animal Collective's discography.
    Once spacey weirdoes filling songs with grunts and caws, Animal Collective has settled down to make music suitable for Earth. Who can blame them? As explicitly presented in the album's lyrics, the band members have wives and a few kids between them. If there was ever a time for Animal Collective to forgo ten-minute jams for snappier hooks, it's now.
    "Merriweather Post Pavilion" is a contagious, inspiring musical work on its own. Even so, given Animal Collective's groundbreaking musical history, this album is unlikely to live up to long-time fans' expectations.