January 21, 2009 - It takes a lot to shake up the comfortable worlds of pop and rock. So much music being released, even by the most talented artists, sounds like a repackaged version of something that came before it. But the wildly imaginative songs of Animal Collective seem to spring from a previously untapped well.
Impossible to categorize, the band itself calls its music "freeform, electronic, horror, gospel, hip-hop, soul, pop madness." On Animal Collective's forthcoming album, Merriweather Post Pavilion, the group showcases a sonic supernova of tribal rhythms, pulsing synths and shimmering vocals, mashed together in a stew of strangely infectious noise.
Domino Records and Animal Collective tried to keep the 11 tracks on Merriweather Post Pavilion a closely guarded secret in the months following its completion in February 2008. But in November, the track "Brother Sport" was leaked online. Now, here's a chance to hear the album streamed in its entirety.
A double-LP vinyl edition of Merriweather Post Pavilion was released in the U.S. on Jan. 6. The CD was released Jan. 12 in the U.K. and Jan. 20 in the U.S.
Comments
Please note that all comments must adhere to the NPR.org discussion rules and terms of use. See also the Community FAQ.
NPR reserves the right to read on the air and/or publish on its Web site or in any medium now known or unknown the e-mails and letters that we receive. We may edit them for clarity or brevity and identify authors by name and location. For additional information, please consult our Terms of Use.