I know their was a huge amount of hype behind Merriweather Post Pavilion, and rightfully so. Merriweather clearly dominated the EOY lists, and scored really high on the EOD lists, for an album that had less than a year to blossom. I personally love Merriweather and think it's one of the greatest albums ever.
I however do not think it is stronger than "Strawberry Jam". Does anyone else feel this way? Did Strawberry Jam rank highly on your personal lists. It is an amazing album, and it might be one of the most underrated albums of the decade.
The success of Merriweather Post pavilion might shed some light on its predecessor. 10 years from now we might have a different perspective on the AC catalog. I hope more people are drawn to Strawberry for a virgin taste or second glance. It'll only get better with age.
I have Strawberry Jam at #78 on my all time list and MPP at #104. I know it's only been a year, but it's definitely not an album I'm coming back to as much as I should to merit its ranking. Definitely gonna slide when I update the list.
I listen to Feels and Strawberry Jam much more than to MPP and they both rank higher on my list.
I still don't really get why is it MPP which made they meet a global success, Strawberry Jam seems easier to access.
I don't think AC has reached universal acclaim really. They're just the top indie band. They haven't reached mainstream success and I doubt they ever will. Indie fans like them because it's a new sound so their most accessible album probably is going to be considered their worst by fans of the band since they are at a point where accessible doesn't mean much anymore. I like my music poppy with choruses and hooks, I don't think I'll ever grow tired of that, but AC is definitely a band for people looking to find something different in the music they listen to.
Im not saying they'll ever be a top selling band. Im just saying that indie music is starting to take over a little bit. The National, Radiohead, Arcade Fire, Neko Case, Vampire Weekend, Pheonix, LCd Soundsystem hae started revolution of sorts.
To be fair I wouldn't consider Radiohead indie. Their roots are as part of the '90s Brit-pop wave. Then in the 2000s they transformed themselves into a more indie sound, if you can call it that. But by that time they were filling stadiums.
But as for the main topic: YES YES YES. I have always loved Strawberry Jam, it's one of the decade's greatest for sure, but it isn't getting that recognition. For all the love P4k gave it in 2007 I was disappointed that it didn't make their decade list of 200.
I am also very fond of Sung Tongs and Spirit They're Gone.
Yeah I guess I overstepped on Radiohead, however, I don't think Radiohead keeps the exact same company of fans they obtain way back in 1994. Thy still fill stadiums, but like you said "The sound has changed".
Animal Collective are going to continue to grow. Their next album as a group will be a real test. Animal Collective doesn't have a "Selling Out" bone in their body, and it ill be interesting to see where they go next! Merriweather got popular because it had consistent beats, it almost played like a dance album. We AC fans know that they stretch their sound with every new album. Hell they could go back to Freak/folk (For lack of a better term. It will be interesting to see if the new found fandom of Merriweather transfers over for the rest of their careers.
I agree with you, Kevin. MPP took the advantage of an indie wave that would have made anything AC put out that wasn't a disaster a masterpiece. And MPP has a few amazing songs in it that could impress the casual listener who heard about the buzz of this band for a long while. Admittedly, I have more to explore from that record.
But I'm very impressed about how tight and dynamic Strawberry Jam is. It's not frontloaded with the best songs... and I think it captures the peak of the band as it was trailblazing the indie scene. It's the essential record as far as I'm concerned.
AC are an odd band for me, because Sung Tongs and Feels are really difficult for me to listen to. The first record has some moments but is often grating, and the second, while having some of the best AC songs on my playlist (Did You See the Words, Grass) also drags a whole lot during the last half of the album. MPP has elements of that flawed album dynamic, but it's still pretty excellent.
They are exploring areas in music that I never thought possible. I've been making music for a while, and whenever I am looking for a new edge or inspiration I turn to Animal Collective or Miles Davis. I think they are going to continue to create amazing music. Panda Bear's solo "Tomboy" is going to be a huge release for me. I was, like so many others, a huge fan of "Person Pitch". If they continue to evolve and keep their growing fan-base, then it is very possible that their back catalog will be combed over more thoroughly in the future. I just hope "Strawberry Jam" doesn't go under appreciated for to long.
Strawberry Jam has grown in stature for me this past year, while AC's earlier releases (not the super early ones, but Sung Tongs and Feels) have really sunk. I don't know if its the electronic nature of SJ and MPP compared to the freak folk stuff.
I must chime in and say I dislike this band. I don't think they've written anything as moving as Yellow House, let alone far better stuff like Moon and Antarctica or Kid A. They aren't as experimental as say, Battles, or a lot of electronica either.
Throw me in the camp that just doesn't get it. They're not weird enough for me to find them interesting, and their pop moments just don't hit me. I can enjoy (parts of) a handful of songs - Leaf House, Grass, Peacebone, and My Girls, but that's about it.
They're not for everyone, but to say they aren't very experimental is obviously a cry for help.
SUGGESTION: (If you haven't already) Check out Campfire Songs, and Spirit They've Gone. Panda's Solo Person Pitch might also appeal to the part of you that enjoys Yellow House.
Well, I am basing my opinion off of AC's last 4 albums, which do not strike me as that experimental. I have heard that their pre-Sung Tongs material is more "out there", so to speak.
I actually thought Person Pitch was decent, but really repetitive. I'll check out the other two. Thanks!
Well, I am basing my opinion off of AC's last 4 albums, which do not strike me as that experimental. I have heard that their pre-Sung Tongs material is more "out there", so to speak.
I actually thought Person Pitch was decent, but really repetitive. I'll check out the other two. Thanks!
calling their pre-sung tongs material "out there" is an understatement. Spirit they're gone is pretty experimental, though conventional enough, but everything else until sung tongs is formless-electronic-folk-noise.