Album Review: Merriweather Post Pavilion - Animal Collective

in ,

One of the best albums from recent years that has this far been totally overlooked by BlackPlastic.co.uk is Panda Bear's Person Pitch: a glorious Catalan summer daydream of an album. We were too late to consider a review with Person Pitch, but two wrongs a right does not make... now that Panda Bear is back doing his day job in Animal Collective we didn't want to let another great album pass without comment.

Merriweather Post Pavillion takes what Panda Bear learnt on his solo project - all afternoon sunshine, Beach Boys vocals and samples - and apply it to Animal Collective.

And the thick and fuzzy experimentation that ensues is glorious. From the psychedelic opener of In The Flowers through through to ridiculously joyful closer Brother Sport. Via the inspirational My Girls with its I Feel Love Your Love (you know what we meant) synth and anti-materialistic but big hearted and honest lyrics through the warbling bumblebee basslines, bursting bubbles and free falling in love sounds of Summertime Clothes.

Merriweather Post Pavillion sounds like days spent chasing beautiful girls in white dresses down sunbathed white-washed back alleys in southern Europe. It is the sound of a band simply having the bestest time, falling out of the melody tree and hitting every branch on the way down.

The soundtrack to the summer in January? It just might be.

BP x