Day 0983 - Merriweather Post Pavilion

Animal Collective “Merriweather Post Pavilion” (2009)

Animal Collective are nothing if not prolific.  Along with releasing either an album or EP for every year they’ve been in existence, the individual members have released a slew of solo albums between them.  Whether or not that’s a good thing obviously depends on your opinion of the quality of their output.

My limited experience of their work (from memory, this one, previous release “Strawberry Jam”, “Centipede Hz” and Avey Tare’s’ solo album “Down There”) leads me to believe it’s not a terrible thing.   I’m not a rabid fan by any stretch of the imagination, but I’ve never heard anything that puts me off them either.   What I find with them is something similar to some other bands from that era: that I quite enjoy it on first listen but (a) I don't retain too much memory of the songs after the fact and (b) the initial enthusiasm vanishes on re-listens.

The band had briefly parted company with their guitarist so were writing songs based more around samples and keys.   Some comparisons are made to Flaming Lips, which I could kind of hear in that it's spacey, swirling, layered psychedelic pop.  “My Girls” and “No More Runnin’”  have kind of a Beach Boys vibe to them, both in the vocal harmonies, the production, and even the timbre of the lead vocal.  “Lion in a Coma” reeks of  India-influenced Beatles.  

Again, overall there were a lot of interesting sounds, and I'd be willing to check out their other albums that come 'into my orbit' but they're not a band that are on my mind much (cool album cover though).

 

Day 0969 - Ys

Joanna Newsom "Ys" (2006)

The book compares Newsom to Kate Bush, and I could certainly see/hear some similarities, both in the timbre of her voice, the almost operatic/theatrical quality of some of her music and the range of sounds.   Her more violent delivery in places like "Sawdust and Diamonds" almost brings Bjork to mind.

Harpist and vocalist Newsom had released her debut album and was part of a new-folk movement along with Devendra Branhart.   

 

This album is an interesting mix of parts.   Newsom recorded her harp and vocal parts with brass-tacks, punkish producer Steve Albini.  Orchestral arrangements were added after the fact by Van Dyke Parks, arranger for the Beach Boys' more adventurous albums.   

The arrangements nicely accentuate Newsom's songs, giving them room to breathe in places, but coming to the fore when it's appropriate.

The album has only 5 tracks, but most of them are around the 10-15 minute mark, not unlike some 1970s albums, like a lot of the prog, fusion and yeah even some of the folk stuff from that era.

Day 0684 - Nowhere

Ride "Nowhere" (1990)

The band had released a few EPs before settling in to record this, their debut full-length. 

I'm not usually a huge fan of shoegazer stuff, but this one actually tickled my fancy.  The melodies didn't seem quite as obscured by the wash of guitars etc. as is usually the case.  I found the grooves to be hypnotic and engaging, instead of boring and forgettable.