4. Merriweather Post Pavillion by Animal Collective

By: Gareth Meade

				Merriweather Post Pavillion by Animal Collective

Much has been made of Merriweather Post Pavilion being Animal Collective's most accessible album to date; a statement made slightly redundant by the dulling of years worth of exposure to their eccentricity and experimentation. It begs the question, were they trying to be more accessible, or are we more used to them and their ilk? 

The inevitable answer is that both are true. Animal Collective's habitual exploration of the periphery of music had to eventually become an original sound that would traverse both sides of the critical and commercial fence. And Merriweather Post Pavilion is that sound. Deceptively simple, alluringly subtle and overwhelmingly splendid, it's as hard to point out a highlight as it is to find a misstep. 

So much hyperbole has been written about the album this year, that if you haven't already tried it for yourself, then you probably won't. The rest of us don't need any more convincing; Merriweather Post Pavilion is 55 minutes of bliss.

Video: "My Girls" by Animal Collective