Reviews (page 5 of 7)
I liked this album but I am probably not going to revisit it any time soon
Enjoyed this. Don’t think it makes it into the rotation as of rn. 3 stars as it stands now, could see it being a 4 a some point
Just not sure if I’m fully ready for this. Some great melodies in there. 3/5
Favourite tracks: my girls
Some decent tracks, some a bit too out there, would give a 3.5 if I could
Tak tak, nije mi se bas slusao.
This should be right up my alley with the indie-nature but it was just fine. Nothing special. A little long as well.
If I was in an alternate universe and someone showed me a picture of weezer this is what I'd imagine they sound like. BIG montage in a roadtrip / tiktok edit mood. Fav songs summertime clothes and daily routine
Coole Musik, aber braucht jeder Song 2 Minuten Intro? Viele unterschiedliche Sounds, aber trotzdem irgendwie langweilig. Meh. 3*
Soaring harmonies and lively indie vibe.
Really busy, the layered singing and back up vocals were distracting at times. Appreciate the creativity and going for something different, but was a bit tough to get into. Standout was "Summertime Clothes".
Not saying this wasnt enjoyable it was but could have been from any genre at any time, but in a strange good way.
Not heard this before, had to give it another listen because I found myself distracted and it sort of faded into an amorphous background blur. Enjoyed it more when I found time to give it an active listen, the tracks 𝘢𝘳𝘦 different. Feels like there's still more to be got from this, I'll have to give it another go
Argh, illusory motion of the artwork keeps messing with my head, haha! As for the album, it's good - some parts pop, other parts pretty out there, maybe you need to be high to fully appreciate it.
Nice modern psychadelic pop. It's chilled and has a good groove and unites some 60's elements with 00's sounds. Most of the album failed to grab me fully, but there were lots of aspects of this I liked.
Trancy but dull not that into it
Very ethereal pop, almost stadium like but if it was in a dungeon. Cool addition to the list.
Some good bangers summertime was awesome
I like the sound but it gets monotonous after a few songs.
Probably an album and artist that takes a few listens to to "get", but a good first experience, one to check out again.
I've been dragging my feet on writing this review for like a week now, time to get this over with. I truly have no idea what to make of this. I've listened to it like three times now to try to wrap my head around it, but not sure if I've made any progress. Lyrics-wise, this is honestly pretty straightforward and frankly almost a bit boring. It's generally fairly simple stuff about what's going on in the singer's life. "My Girls" is their most famous song, and it's pretty much just about how he doesn't want fancy things and just wants to buy a house for his wife and daughter. "Bluish" is about thinking his wife is hot. It's perfectly nice, but a bit simplistic. The lyrics aren't what's interesting here though, it's the sound that stands out. The album has this really layered electronic-y sound. The depth of the sound is fairly impressive and on some songs I think it works really well. That said, I found myself actively disliking a few songs and kind of zoning out on others. It's interesting, but just doesn't work for me consistently. I think I read too much about this while listening. The critical reviews are wildly positive for this one and I'm feeling like I'm just missing something. It's perfectly good, and I guess I can see how musically it might be a step above what else was getting made at the time, but I just didn't love it. I feel like I should love it given my musical tastes, but I just don't. I could see this being one that I come back to in a year and it just clicks, but it is what it is for now. Struggling to talk myself into a 4, so 3 it is. Favorite song: My Girls Other: In The Flowers, Summertime Clothes, Bluish, No More Runnin 12/19/23
I quite like their lush, textured production. It’s a vibe I can get behind. That said, the songs don’t have very memorable/sticky melodies. 3.5
Great production. Very interesting. Didn' t like vocals as much
Forgettable spacey-indie stuff. Not enough meat on these bones to stay with you. It sounds lush don't get be wong, and it's not a bad record - just I don't picture myself ever going - "I think the mood is just right for me to put on that Animal Collective record ..."
I liked the songs more that incorporated some different time signature stuff to it, like "Lion In A Coma." Somewhere in the middle they kinda lost me. It dragged for me, I guess. But the ending finished stronger so there's something to be said for that...
This was OK. I started off really enjoying it, it gave off some nice Sigur Ros and Flaming Lips-type vibes, but it all got very samey. Its nice enough.
Jag tror att låtarna är bättre än vad jag orkar ta in. Dock lite för mkt bitvis.
Hyfsat behagligt. Många låtar låter rätt lika. Soundet är enhetligt genom skivan. Det är rätt bra. Men kanske enformigt till slut. Är det ens kopp te så vill man ju ha detta på repeat. Klickar inte för mig. Men det är alltså samtidigt inte dåligt. My girls är bra Brother sport är bra (första halvan, lite tjatig i mitten och slutet)
Stundtals rätt bra och stundtals blir det experimentella/pretentiösa inte riktigt lika lyckat. Ändå uppfriskande med något som sticker ut från mängden och gör lyssningen roligare. Svag trea men skulle säkert kunna växa lite med fler lyssningar.
Great first half, eh second half
Didn’t do it for me.
Ultimate Pitchfork band? AC belongs to this group of American guitar bands that at some point in the 2010s enjoyed some mainstream succes. I would prefer a band like Deerhunter but can appreciate AC / Panda Bear as well even though their experimental beach-boys-influenced style is a bit exhaustive. This is their most accessible and successful album and I think including it in this list is justified, but I would not put it in my personal 1001 list (would go for Sung Tongs perhaps).
At times I thought I was enduring some sort of Beach Boys' induced schizophrenia. And then at other times I really liked it.
January 2009 Journey, exuberant, some good tracks Psychedelic pop, electronic pop, synth-pop, neo-psychedelia, indie, avant-pop 6/10 listen again 22/11/23
Kinda weird. Somewhat like if the Beatles were less good and tried to make Sgt Peppers in the post-synthesizer world
Interesting songs but not catchy songs
A crazy, spinning, hypnotic "mess"(?) of vocals and heavy production. Probably meant to be listened to while on hallucinogens, but it was still perfectly decent without them. My Girls and Summertime Clothes are clear highlights, for having some satisfying vocal moments and non-overbearing instrumental interludes. Daily Routine, on the other hand, is one of several examples of experimental synth-pop done very, very incorrectly. It's an irritating sound. The songs are mostly hits or "eh, it's alright"s, with a couple of these absolute honks thrown in to remind you that Animal Collective isn't perfect. That's part of the charm, though. They sound like a group of kids making a relatively organised racket with a mishmash of modern sounds at their disposal. And, honestly, it's pretty cool.
I liked it, got to see them live and they played some of this so it holds a special place for me.
Was tempted to give this a 4, its my first time listening to this and I think it could either be one that grows on you or irritates you on repeat listens. Some cool ideas but not an instant "wow".
Didn’t particular land with me
Not sure about this one
Plutôt ludique et inventif. Me rappelle parfois les Beach Boys, parfois Devendra Banhart.
Pop electrónico psicodélico. Ni fu ni fa.
Uneven
I feel like this is a party I was invited to, but I don't know anyone. It's not BAD, but I don't get it. Pretty cool album cover and the harmonies/sound are really tight, but one of these songs will stick with me.
Cool Intéressant, avec son propre monde musical Mais ça me touche pas trop Même si le mix surchargé est un parti prit, un album entier fait un peu blougiboulga, à voir ce que j'en pense dans quelques années
It reminded me of my indie fase, pretty good tunes, but repetitive
Weird music weird lyrics. Not sure if I liked it or not but I do think it was fairly good. Favourite song Brother Sport maybe.
i was excited when i pulled this album up because i recognized the cover and knew it was supposed to be good. i was let down, it was fine but really nothing special at all
Mezcla de pop y electrónica con ritmos variados. Pasable, sin más. Escuchable sin excesivos virtusismos.
Cover goes pretty hard
3.5/5
My girls and brother sport are some of the best songs on the album. Overall was a decent listen.
Psychedelic, dreamy and trippy. Might've liked it more on acid.
I like the mood it sets and it has some very cool parts. All in all it's just a tad too long.
Unremarkable background fine
This is like 2000s indie but with less music and more noise. However they still put some good songs in the mix. My Girls is one that surprised me, a bunch of noise layered together sounds good. The repetition in every song gets old after a while.
It's enjoyable in it's 'Beach Boys but avant garde' l'âne, but with the exception of the magnificent Brother Sport, it never truly goes beyond the sum of its clever parts.
I feel like I'd enjoy this album if I was tripping or *super* stoned, so I'll round up from 2.5.
Interesting. Overall enjoyable.
bit samey, but there's much worse
This album was decent. There were aspects of it that really reminded me of major bands eg early Pink Floyd, Queen, The Beatles, but it was all mashed together to create something new. I think it’s cool artistically, but I liked it - didn’t love it.
Easy listening Very short but enjoyable
Kind of makes me think of the natural conclusion of where Pet Sounds was driving. Also reminds me of the white boy "world music" of Paul Simon. It's an interesting listen, but I think it's probably best experienced not sober. Favorite tracks: "Daily Routine", "Lion In a Coma"
I've tried to get into this album many times, but its still a bit of a head scratcher. I think My Girls is a fantastic song, and there are a few other great ones, but for the most part it doesn't really move me.
I liked a lot of this but also hit quite a few patches of headache-inducing wierdo noise.
3,5.
Indie weirdness abounds.
Skemmtilegt indie pop!
Has a familiar 2000's indie alt rock thing to it. 3.5
All seemed to blend into one. I like the music in snippets but nothing really grabbed me. Willing to give them a go again
spacende muziek
Niet slecht, maar absoluut geen wow-gevoel
I feel like this was too weird for me, but I'm still not sure. I "think" I might "enjoy" this "more" if I "had" a little "help". (All the quotes mean drugs)
Not my cup of tea at all, but I can understand its placement as a landmark of indie music of the time. Just wish it did more for me.
I remembered this album being better... But has a few certified bits.
Ok, but I couldn't get into it. Maybe another time.
I have struggled for over a decade to appreciate this group and this album in particular. For me, it's really hard to enjoy given the lack of a rhythm or flow. It's very ethereal, and there's not set anchor rhythmically in any of the songs that draw me in. After my fourth listen, I just seem to be unable to appreciate this work for what others see in it.
They have too much fun. Sounds like Tame Impala sometimes. I don't think I would listen to them often
Pretty cool psych/experimental rock with some electronic and pop influences.
An interesting album with a couple of fun and quirky parts. I can see how it may have been influential in shaping early 2010's electro pop. That said, it's also frequently weird in an unpleasant way and my appreciation while listening was mixed.
This album came out when I was in college and everyone was obsessed with it. I thought it was mid then and I think it's mid now.
This super reminds me of Passion Pit, super layered, eclectic mix of sounds. The vocals kind of put me off though, seems like the kind of thing you have to be super in the mood for.
It's ethereal, psychedelic and weird so that's worth something. This could definitely be setbreak music at shows.
I'd like to hear this again... Standouts: None Others: My Girls, Summertime Clothes Rating: 3/5
My girls / summertime clothes absolutely dominate this album. the rest is pretty meh so it get a 3
It was I testing. Very chill. Nothing really stood out for me.
I want to like this more than I do. It sounds kinda like psychedelia meets the Beach Boys. Maybe a little bit too trippy for me, maybe a bit too much going on, but not as good as I'd hoped it would be? My Girls is very familiar, but wouldn't have known it was by them before listening to this. Clearly paved the way for some music that I like more though, so it can get a 3/5.
3,5 te herbeluisteren Of toch 4?
Ok
I didn't get this when it came out and I still don't. It's not bad, it's just...not something I would ever choose. Best track: Taste
Favourite song: Brother Sport
When the kick comes in on my girls.... Everything else is like meh. Hyper-eager 2010s festival indietronica sounds like a midjourney-generated piece of art in 2023. Psychedelic sure, but for what ends.
It was alright, decent.
There‘s no escape from these jungle-tight soundscapes, no break from the horns’ of Jericho permanent blast! Sometimes a bit annoying but truely an album that you should listen to for once in your life - at least for educational reasons. „Summer Clothes“ is an unbelieveable feelgood hit! 3.2
Better than I was expecting cool sounds I don’t like the indie singing
Dit album heb ik vaak geluisterd, maar ik weet nog dat het me ook veel tijd kostte om 't leren waarderen. Hetzelfde gevoel heb ik nu, sommige nummers blijf ik wel echt heel tof vinden, maar over het geheel toch een te moeilijk plaatje.
My Girls vind ik een geweldig nummer. De rest van dit album had ik nog nooit beluisterd, en is wat aan de vage kant, maar niet onaardig.
Pretty good album. Psychedelic pop.
Wasn't sure about it to begin with but it grew on me towards the end, sounded like Battles with more synths and less drums.
Já... jújú, þetta er ekki leiðinlegt, oft áhugavert, en eftir tvær hlustanir held ég að ég láti þetta gott heita.
Primavera Sound 2008, Animal Collective take to the stage late (about 00:30) on a balmy 20 degree Barcelona night. I'm up at the front, the reverb is hitting me physically, passing through my chest in waves. The light show starts up and about 50 people around me come up on their Es simultaneously. Never in my life have I wanted to be on drugs more.
One of these albums that I need to listen to a few times. I did have the time today so ended up liking it.
I kept turning the volume down. It doesn't immediately sound bad but it builds up. Summertime Clothes is a bit gentler, maybe even a bit infectious. I like the vocals on most tracks. Sometimes. But the constant echoing does annoy me. Interesting, but I'm not going to try it again.
Really enjoyed the jammy vocal layering. Prefer this to the way Chet faker does it.
Starts off brilliantly but tails off
better than i remember
This album is described as a challenging listen - I get that. I need to listen to this a couple more times to see exactly how positively I feel towards it. I'm between a 3 - 4 right now, but I'm going to go conservative on this review.
Some great moments but not sustained over a whole album.
Yea it's fine, not bad at all
I guess I can see why people like this, but it didn't do anything much for me. Meh.
I wouldn't listen to this all the time, but it was decent background music and it seems like they had something to say here. Definitely not a 4 or 5 because I didn't immediately want to listen to more of their stuff, but also not a 2 for me because I enjoyed getting through it. I wouldn't consider you to be a philistine if you felt otherwise.
This was a hard one to digest for me. Creativity and uniqueness is a major attribute of bands I love, and these guys definitely have that. What I'm kind of meh about is the music outside of those creative elements. It feels canned, whiny, tame. I know nothing about the bands background but it seems to me this is what you get when you have semi-talented musicians, whose rich parents bought them all the toys to facilitate the musical creativity.
3.75
My Girls was a smash hit that got them noticed by the mainstream, but nothing else comes close to it. It's all very hyperactive, Brian Wilson on speed rather than acid. Definitely worth another listen, I think a lot more of the songs need time seeing as there are so many melodies and sounds to break down.
The band you'd name drop to try and impress that hipster at that house party in the hope of getting in their pants. This is the album when the band stopped being quite so up their own arses and actually began including some tunes and choruses in their songs. Still fairly odd with constant electronic burbling and reverb drenched vocals, but not annoyingly so. Best Tracks: My Girls; Summertime Clothes; Taste
Always been a band and album I felt like I should connect more with, given genre, but never been my favourite. Feels like you need to be in a certain state of mind to just abolutely vibe with it.
Mehhhhhhhh
Nostalgia!
Too normy. Give me starwberry jam!!!
Interesting psychedelic rock. Lots of vocal harmonies, very melodic
Meh. Bit too much going on...
This had a bit of Beatles about it in parts. Better with headphones that in the car for sure.
An easy listen by the beach. Good vibes.
overrated, nothing special
Nice dense, complex sounds with some pop attitude in the vocals. I like it, I don't love it.
I have never been able to make my mind up on this album. I still can't make my mind up on this album. You should probably listen to it yourself and make your own mind up on this album. Or don't make your mind up on this album. Whatever.
Very good, like the Beach Boys if they lived in Arizona.
Better than most post-rock, which I find is a bit too prog-like, clever clogs for me. This was released with much hype in 2009 (a bi of a low-point in 'alternative" music, IMHO). Lots of publications had this as their album of the year, which surprises me. Has this aged as a classic, where people sing along to the songs when heard? I think not. But this is more enjoyable than I had expected. Unlike much post-rock, which tends to be dour and tuneless (thanks for that, all you angst filled middle class white boys), this album trades in joy and Beach Boys-like tunes. Not great tunes, but pleasant enough. I think the drowned in sounds review (http://drownedinsound.com/releases/13913/reviews/4136043) captures it best when stating that this reflects their live sound at the time. This is electronic-based music designed to be played at summer festivals, and get the audience dancing along. I like the analogue feel of the recording. By that, I mean the way that the samples (which make up most of the tracks)_ have been degraded into a warm, fuzzy wash of eccentric loops and weird rhythms. I'm sure this album was blast live, and is Ok on record. better than I was expecting, and I pleasantly enjoyed listening to it 3 or 4 times through, although no songs really stuck in my mind. (I think the fact that Pitchfork listed My Girls as their #1 song of the year tells you much about 1- the standard of what was released that year, and 2- the pretensions of Pitchfork).
The hardest part of being a music lover is admitting that not all music is “for” you and everyone isn’t “speaking to you” or even speaking your language. This is one of those cases. I have no idea what what’s happening here or what’s being said, but I get the craft and effort going into it. I’d love to meet a fan of this band and find out what I’m missing.
Super forgettable album. I literally could not recall any of it the next day. I guess that is a sold 3 star didn't love or hate it.
Over hyped at the time (I completely bought into it, saw them live a bunch of times in this era) but there's still good stuff, albeit patchy
Totally into it, at least through the first half. By the third half of the album I was ready to be done. (Accidentally rolled straight into the first half of the following album. Oops.)
I need to give it another listen. I definitely dug it and was close to giving it four stars.
At least the album cover is fun...
Interesting stuff, a few catchy bits here and there but not overall something I'll come back to.
Pop, electrónico.
Mesmerizing. This album sounds like I'm trapped inside a kaleidoscope. I listened when I was really tired and was hypnotized the whole time. Cool listen. It feels more innovative and interesting than other indie artists have dared to attempt.
Like pop melodies run through a blender.
Sounds not quite like anything else. A little saccharine, surprisingly. The vocals are lightly Beach Boys-y, while the rest ventures further.
Not bad, not great Would probably enjoy it more with more drugs.
To me, the melody and hooks of many of the songs tend to be hidden by an excessive amount of effects. Generally, this type of music and arrangement is right up my alley, and listening to this album I more often than not found myself bored.
Listened to the album 3 times. It's a good album, with sound collages, incredible harmonies and clever music. It just doesn't do anything for me, doesn't elicit any emotion. In the end I just zone out with this music.
Schönes Gedudel, das aber nirgendwo hinführt. Kann man mal hören.
Overrated
Very trippy. Ethereal. Sort of reminded me of the spacey ness of some Bowie records and the youthfulness of a group love track.
No me gusta nada que las voces son TODO el tiempo con ese efecto de coro que se pasa de etéreo y melódico. Tampoco me encantan los sonidos tipo 8-bit que están presentes en todas las canciones. Sí, tiene breves momentos en los que me alcanza a gustar, pero nunca lo suficiente como para buscar más de la banda o pensar en agregarlo a mi rotación. Interesantes experimentos y hasta ahí.
Pretty chill and enjoyable.
Not my cup of tea, but I can see the appeal.
Bon album indie rock/psychédélqiue. Pas nécessairement charmé mais à réessayer
A passive listen that really offers little.
Decent, at times wild electronic punkesque music
pretty groovy
Merriweather Post Pavilion is a good psych-electronica album that being sample heavy, it allows a creative flow of interesting soundscapes. Best: My Girls Worst: Lion in a Coma
Bi garipik var cozemedim
Reminded me of Flaming Lips crossed with the Beach Boys crossed with MGMT. Very groovy and exciting for the first few tracks but after a while the songs all sound the same, could do with a bit more variation.I enjoyed the last two tracks, No More Runnin and Brother Sport contrast really nicely. Good music for tidying your house.
Bit too random for listening
5 for weirdness, 3 overall
Good, not great.
Indie que não empolgou e obviamente não incomodou.
Ik
Pretty good indie rock album. A couple repetitive songs but enjoyed it overall
Not a huge fan
Tried but I've never found a way into Animal Collective. I remember thinking a decade ago this is a band I'm supposed to like, music people are supposed to like, indie people are supposed to like - probably around the time Pitchfork gave Merriweather a 9.8 or so review. Couldn't find a way in. I still feel the same way now. It's really well made, the production and structures are fantastic, hypnotizing, looping, swirling, disorienting like staring at the album art too long. I get the Pet Sounds comparisons. I just don't feel it. Best guess is that there's not much of a groove. These are mechanical, layered rhythms in a grid. Imagine Panda Bear booty dropping to any of these tracks. The other thing that comes to mind is the NYC indie community they came out of where bands were borrowing from global music. Their peers had an interesting take on "world" music and rhythms - pop/punk (Vampire Weekend), baroque (Dirty Projectors), religious (Yeasayer). Where you at AC? B
I have to be honest here. Animal Collective has never really blown my hair back. They've made some bangers for sure, but in general it's always been just background music to throw on when chilling around the house. Definitely some solid tracks on this album, but found my mind wandering pretty quickly by track 3. Maybe I need to drop acid and expand my consciousness in order to get it, who knows. But not really liking Animal Collective has always been my dirty little secret.
i feel like i shouldnt like this album but i do its a bit weird but in a good way. on most of the songs the texture was a bit thick so i had to listen through headphones to hear it well
One of most innovative indie pop records from the first decade of 00s. Lots of psychedelic vibes and creative harmonies, although for my taste it clearly lacks melodies, being just an intriguing curiosity rather than a masterpiece.
"My Girls" Released: March 23, 2009 "Summertime Clothes" Released: June 29, 2009 "Brother Sport" Released: November 9, 2009
J’ai bien aime en faisant le menage mais pas de reecoute. 2.75*
It was okay. Maybe its better on psychedelics...
Fun! A psychedelic circus.
It’s ok. Got some cool psychedelia sounds. Not mind blowing, but pretty decent
“my girls” is still a thrill but the rest has not aged well. like a parody of the era’s indie sound
fun times
weird but cool
Very 2009.
I've never been able to get into them, but this time I enjoyed it. Might need to give some of their other stuff a listen
A fantastic synth-filled romp – some definite duds in the tracklist bring this down a bit, but the freewheeling energy that permeates this LP is undeniably infectious. Particularly impressed how well most tracks function with minimal percussion (usually only relying on a handclap) while creating tight rhythms.
acid/alt/pop. This is MGMT on MDMA.
Pas mauvais!
Some good songs, lots of obnoxious noises.
a nice crunchy little electronic album. reminds me of van morrison in the way they repeat everything and twist it till it's unrecognizable. lots of fun bug sounds, like bug wings almost? that's what it reminds me of. it requires a lot of investment to listen to it, but i like
Fun album, a lot going on here
2.5
Checked this out before listening, and on paper it sounded right up my street, but I bounced right off it. Maybe one to try again, down the road. Favourite track: Brother Sport
Either this gave me a headache or I had a headache already (more likely) but this wasn’t a pleasant listening experience
Thought I would like this more than I did. It's awful.
# Album Name: Merriweather Post Pavilion # Artist: Animal Collective # Rating: 2/5 # Comments: Honestly, literally one good song and thats it. Did not enjoy this album. # Top Tunes: My girls # Would I listen to it again? Just my girls
They managed to take everything I dislike about 60s music and modernize it. Pass.
Found this hard to go rate, I wanted to like it but it's just quite joyous and takes itself too seriously
This sounds like a bad acid trip I took in high school.
So repetitive. Can't say this is my thing, so many other artists did electronic music better. Not outright terrible, just can't find anything to say that this is an important album to listen to.
Weird and not very interesting
Not for me, Clive.
This was one weird album, but there were some decent parts. I'd probably give it a 2.5 if possible. I enjoyed it too little to give it a 3.
Sure
Fun optical illusion on the cover, but I don't care much for the music.
boring exchangeable early 10s (i guess these people were very early) electronic indie rock. DNF
Cool expiremental sounds but didnt really enjoy listening to it all that much, just not really my thing. Really cool album cover.
When it first started, I thought I might enjoy it as seem to be getting on board with psychedelic electronic music of late and many of my top listens have included elements like this. However, at no point did I connect with this. By the end I realised why... The lyrics and vocals are "normal", and I think dilute the experience as you have some interesting electronic sounds with dumb fluffy vocal overlay. It's too bright and lovely and monotone actually (Just higher pitch). It loops its head off then flattens any energy built by the synth machine. I don't think this is entirely terrible but songs like "My Girls" kill the concept and almost all songs have a bass that pounds and when used off beat its neat but does it so much I start to hate it. Pop cappella meets psyco techno? Worth a try I guess as that must blow someone's mind.
ambient music... but i just kept waiting for it to start. it was fine to have on in the background, but didn't really pull me in
This was not that good
I didn't enjoy this at all. All the reverb and effects made it sound claustrophobic and just uncomfortable to listen to. Credit to them for being influential, experimental and inventive though!
Back in the days I remembered liking them, but now it's almost obnoxious
Lots of cool sounds but with a incoherent structure. Many of these newer pop bands try to be a bit too experimental or progressive for my taste and just end up making music for a modern art gallery.
no lo pude terminar de escuchar pq me aburrió, no está malo pero no elegiría escucharlo.
Not my style it’s ok
After the first track, I still thought the album might be pretty interesting. By the third track, the novelty had completely worn off and boredom set in. By the fifth track, the vocals and the musical arrangement were getting on my nerves. After the sixth track, I gave up and turned it off. I don’t need to listen to that again. 2/5
If I wanted to listen to two Beach Boys albums at the same time, I would.
Kind of cool in spots. Reminded me of Pet Sounds at times. Overall didn’t have the structures or hook to keep my attention. Sounds VERY 2009.
You know what? I’m out on collectives. Either be a band or don’t. Nothing worse than hearing good music and looking up the band on Wikipedia and seeing they have a revolving cast of like 10 people. Make a commitment. Be a band The music itself was ok. Too much wall of synthetic sound. My girls is cool. I dunno I can’t be objective. Too mad about collectives Anyway
I'm fully convinced this list consists of albums that the writer thought were more thought provoking or comment worthy than actually good. My first thought was this is overproduced and entirely too busy to enjoy. But the listener counts are off the chart, 9M people listened to that first song. No song has fewer than 3M listens. Why? Is this gummy drop music, it's barely entertaining sober. 65M people listened to "My Girls" which is so repetitive and nonsensical I had to skip ahead. WTF, I'm very confused and can't understand the popularity of this song/album. It was like one long song sung in different parts by a monotone man in several layers with spacy music playing in the background. Were there any guitars or drums? This is shit. 2 stars
I don't think this is objectively bad, to the extent that that's even a real concept, but I just don't like anything about it. I don't like the writing, the performance, the mix, any of it. This album is the equivalent of a sheet of paper filled edge-to-edge with text that's all the same font - no white space, no ups or downs, no real hooks, just a consistent melange of vaguely musical sound. I shouldn't have to work this hard to pay attention to music. I like 2000s indie pop, so it's not just a genre mismatch. I honestly considered giving this a 1 but I only give 1 star reviews to albums I feel strongly negative about; I don't care about this enough to hate it.
Despite other reviewers thoughts, I can both not like this album and be willing to listen to new or experimental music and still not like this album. It baffles me less that some people like it or hate it and more that disliking it is seen as "lacking expansion" in music. I promise it's okay to both be willing to listen to new sounds AND for "different" albums not to be loved by the collective.
Not a fan
zzzzzz
Nothing very memorable that stuck out but it sounded generally upbeat
4/10
Too bubblegum and poppy for me. Just didn’t click
Put this on if you want to bring your copy of Cather's Rye to the opening of the new (fully permitted) "speakeasy" with a built in barbershop.
I should like this but I don't. There is too much going on. I like the album name. Maybe I'll give it a try some other time
I want to like this but I just don't get it. I am sure if I spent more time with it ai would get it, but as of now I don't.
difficult to put into words. sort of a bunch of happy electronica hymns. honestly, not very bad but also not that catchy
The world needs less of this.
Every now and then there would be a bit I liked, but never a whole song. Most of the instrumental parts sounded like a nightmare calliope.
Some good ideas in this album and some good songs trying to get out but it just feels like AC have thrown every sound their can find into this making it more impenetrable that could have been. Ended up being a bot of a hard listen. Perhaps less would have been more.
Sounds like they tried to be a "Happy", NIN.
2 stars Animal Collective are an acquired taste. And I eventually acquired it. But it took years. My older brother introduced me to them when I was in high school and Feels came out. I wasn’t into it at first, but it grew on me. When Strawberry Jam came out it was too abrasive for me and it shut me off the band for years. I wasn’t plugged in when Merriweather first came out. But 2 years later in anticipation of their 2011 Coachella set that I ended up not attending, I retried Strawberry Jam and it grew on me hard. “Fireworks” became one of my favorite songs. I saw them when they toured for Centipede Hz and finally got into Merriweather, a little late. I always very much enjoyed “My Girls” and “Brother Sport.” I also never got into much of the album, although I listened to it a lot. I would get into some of the harmonies and weird melodies on the album. It’s like if you put random lyrics to 60s backward guitar solos. But at the end of the day, listening to the album feels like a chore to get through. The middle up to “Brother Sport” is uninteresting. And “Brother Sport” is a weird song to be the catchiest song on the album, considering it has 2 solid minutes of repeating noise in the middle section. All of this to say, I kind of understand and simultaneously have no idea why people love this record. I wanted to give it a 3 but listening to it all the way through reminded me why I haven’t revisited this album over the past decade. It has high moments, but much of it is boring.
4/10 - My Girls is the highlight but the rest is quite...noisy?
Repetitive. Boorish. This does not move me on any level. Occasional good ideas get beaten to death.
Not really my type of album. I really like Psychedelic Rock, but I find a lot of the more pop oriented Psychedelia from later on very tiresome to listen to. Takes the droneyness from Psych and combines it with the annoyingness of Pop. It starts off alright but it just doesn't really shift up or down in gear and just drags. I can see it being enjoyable for others, I find it tiresome and unpleasing on the ears.
They apparently put so much care and attention in to crafting something so insipid? It was lauded as ‘one of the landmark American albums of the century so far’? Sometimes I feel like I am living in a parallel universe
It's interesting. Great melodic themes and well developed arrangements. But it left me feeling incredibly anxious; like a robot army, with drone cover, was about to burst through my front door.
liked the second half more but it’s still a kind of indie music I‘m not a big fan of
Too beep boopy.
My Girls is CSNY's Our House for Millennials, with everything negative association. we were seeing people make a living off apps and blogs, gentrifying neighbourhoods, thinking 'this isn't great but surely we'll make it better before it gets too much worse'. we were listening to indietronica before a night out thinking our experiences were meaningful. we were a bunch of idiots and must live with this forever. music: hated. (⌐■_■)
This is an album that on paper I should really like and have tried to like before. But I just really can't get on board with their sound at all. I just don't want to listen to it.
Just not really sure what occasion or audience this is for. Had much fun staring at the cover and making my eyes go funny though!!
This album kept putting me to sleep. Then an unusual chord would pop up and I would wake up, then I would fall back to sleep, then another strange chord would pop up, and I would wake up again until the last song. The strangeness of the video kept me awake through the whole song, so I decided to listen to the album again. I struggled with wanting to fall back to sleep. Most of the music seemed to stay on the same chord, and then change keys, and remain on that chord so the repeating changes, but extended sessions of that chord just made me want to fall asleep. There weren't enough changes in the music to keep my attention. If I had to pick the best song, my pick would be, "Bluish"
This had all the makings to be a good album, but it just fell flat on every level. Disappointing.
#67/1001 🇺🇸🐼 Nah this is not for me. There is a bit too much going on here for my liking. I don't entirely dislike Psychedelic music but i do often find it quite irritating. The thing that bugged me the most here was all the speeding up and slowing down mid song. The last track in particular was awful. Best track: My Girls.
Não consegui criar uma conexão ou gostar do álbum. E ainda achei algo meio genérico. Chato falar isso. Celest Phoenixcall.
Just felt very… noisy. Just not for me
This was ok, but I am not big fan of all the synthesizers and mixes with little to no actual instrument play it seemed.
It blended together
if you enjoy discordant sounds, repetitive sampling, irritating vocals, and lots of non-traditional instruments-then this album might appeal to you. if not, then you'll be wondering why this in on the list
Started strong, dragged and then the last song was just shit. Mixed bag I guess
wild. out there. vibes.
I found the album cover more entertaining. Wibbly wobbles.
cool
3/10
I appreciate weird sounds done well, but they never went anywhere with it. I normally give albums like this a middling rating, but after seeing the release year, I just can't let it slide
Not heard anything from these guys before, and based on this, I’m not sure I’ll be coming back any time soon. Just too much stuff trying to be packed in here, with the result being a fairly incoherent, jumbled, cacophonous mess. It’s like some kids got let loose in a studio and decided they have to use every effect at least once, and fuck do they love reverb. Soooo muuuuuch fuuuckingggg reverbbbbbbbbbb. Anyway, can’t decide between 1 and 2 stars, but I’ll err on the side of being generous
I think I may have been too sober during my listen to fully appreciate the creativity and artistry that went into making this album. "No More Runnin" was great, though!
I got about halfway through before the repetitiveness got to me. I didn't hate it though.
5/10
A very psychedelic, avant pop album. This type of music is not usually my thing, and this album was not really an exception. Animal Collective managed to achieve a very strong "seamless" flow between all songs on the album, which I always find interesting, but ultimately I just couldn't wait for this to be over.
Is this good?
Dreamy, fuzzy, noisy. Was this recorded under water?
Not good, not terrible
I feel like the songs get a little better as you hang in there with them, but definitely this is music made for shrooming. The lyrics are largely pretty dumb though. I don’t know, I’m glad there are people that really get into this, but for me it falls pretty flat overall. 5.5/10
Partly psychadelic 60's style (OK but nothing special) and partly headache inducing noise (not OK and I was glad when the album finished. Not one to add to my future wishlist.
Vocals Instrumentals
the album cover is so damn trippy
A lot of the songs felt too samey and while I appreciate the inclusion of a more recent alternative, electronic-pop type band, this album fell a bit flat for me.
2* - I have an affinity to mid 00's indie electronica, and I think had I listened to this more as a teen I'd probably end up giving this 4 or 5 stars out of nostalgic love for it, but I didn't, therefore I shan't. Clear inspirations (Beach Boys) and time period similarities (Vampire Weekend; MGMT) but falls short for me
1.5 , really interesting but just won’t listen to it again
This is my first time listening to Animal Collective. These songs all sort of blurred together, and I didn't really enjoy it.
This is like waking up after having a huge night on some pretty exotic synthetic drugs, and realising you have to go to a family bbq. You’re not sure if you’re still hallucinating or if you are just suffering a crushing hangover. One thing is for sure though, you shouldn’t have driven here. This might be the longest family gathering you’ve been to. It seems like it will never end.
Oh lord. This hype around this album was INESCAPABLE among the indie heads when it came out, and it baffled me. Seventeen years later, little has changed. While I thought the ostensible hit, "My Girls," was okay at the time, now I think "Summertime Clothes" is the standout. I actually like that song, but this album remains lost on me. As does Animal Collective in general. But hey, the optical illusion on the cover is fun for a couple seconds.
When I got divorce/separated in 2008/2009, for a while there I felt like it was important for me to become aware of the music that the cool kids were listening to, which I did via emusic.com a place where you could buy slightly under the radar indie digital albums for $2.50. This was one of those albums. I tried to convince myself I liked it then, but it didn't work. And it sounds even more dull now.
I forgot about this album less than halfway through it.
Have heard of Animal Collective but this was my first time listening to. Had heard good things so was looking forward to it. The album started well and got my immediate attention as it really did sound different. However by track three I began to feel irritated by the overall sound. In particular the low bass sounds produced by the overuse of synths or electronic drums. This assault of the ears was not pleasant and I soon realised that the good start I’d heard earlier could have been achieved by randomly selecting any track to start. It would have degenerated the same way. Still they are a band obviously trying to get away from the mainstream and trying to furrow their own sound. For this they should be applauded and maybe I do need to investigate them further to find an album not so jarring. 2/5 20/1/26
Very boring and sort of...messy. I'm not sure how else to describe it
Unbelievably annoying and pretentious.
Sometimes i get the urge for some twee shit but I'm watching HBOs girls right now so i've had enough probably until 2027
Det vilde er at jeg hørte et halvt album aktivt, men havde glemt det fuldstændigt da jeg genoptog det.
Det er beyond belief at noget der er så eksperimenterende og mærkeligt kan være ekstremt kedeligt
I don’t really get what all the fuss is about with this sort of band. There’s some nice stuff on here and it was a ok Sunday listen, but it’s a bit boring and the experimental aspect isn’t intriguing enough. Couple of good individual songs.
Bit of a slog to get through. It's just not what it wants to be.
I hope they had fun making this.
I dunno. Just not for me, I guess.
I don't get the meaning of this kind od music
Reminds me of Hookworm (also in this list). Gets a bit annoying as it goes on.
I don't think I want high enough to enjoy this album.
Atmospheric, vibey proggy. Like Pink Floyd with a synth.. Not a fan of the consistent slow vocal delivery.. Vocals also reminiscent of pop-punk in places. Ugh, Daily Routine is such dirge... Guys Eyes is like The Beach Boys on drugs.. Best track - Summertime Clothes, Bluish, Brother Sport 2 stars
I have apparently never heard Animal Collective, or entirely forgot their sound, because I expected to hear something like Fountains of Wayne. Merriweather does not sound like that. My ignorance may admittedly affect my grade. But while I appreciated the dreamy, synthy music, it’s really Not For Me.
Interesting but misses the mark for me.
New group to me. Slowly getting into it.
Not my cup of tea. Too much going on & it feels like tuning in to 3 radio stations simultaneously
This was kinda all over the place. I wanted to like some of it, and I did, but a lot of it just was circular into oblivion.
I wanted to like this more. No really. And just when there were moments of cool and interesting sampling sounds tastefully layered, they had to go and muck it up with more homogenized hipster drivel. It’s this imbalance that keeps this in a lower rating for me. I can appreciate the ambitious production here from a band who is sticking to their guns, but if My Girls even though being a decent song was Pitchfork’s #1 song that year, that might speak more to the state of indie music in general at the time.
This felt like it was going nowhere. And if it was trying to get somewhere, it never got there. Like running around in musical circles. Decent in parts but quickly became mundane.
there's so much i want to like here as an indie head, but i just can't get into the production
Not great imo
Whatever. Late 00’s sound. Lots of whiny vocalizing and fairly generic sound
I really couldn’t get into this album. It felt like too much was going on most of the time.
Anything that is experimental or innovative is going to challenge conventional aesthetic ideas. The thing about this is that the result is neither interesting nor appealing. I’m glad I had the experience but I can’t see ever returning to this album again.
Yet another questionable addition to the list. Nothing inspiring or even all that interesting here. Going for an "atmospheric" vibe that just doesn't resonate with me.
Very 2009 (good thing). Lacked that 09 oomf for me, though.