Random bits and pieces of Merriweather Post Pavilion have me thinking of a few kindred sounds. None of these are direct soundalikes to what Animal Collective are doing, but I hear elements of each mixed into their stew.
- Faust: Krautrock (from Faust IV, 1973)
This one might be a more accurate reference for Strawberry Jam than MPP; nevertheless I think Faust IV a safe recommendation to anyone who likes the last couple Animal Collective albums. The two bands feel like kindred spirits, separated by an ocean and almost four decades. Both are unpredictable, experimental, dramatic, and funny.
- Raymond Scott: Cindy Electronium (1959)
- Philip Glass: Floe (from Glassworks, 1982)
Listen to the opening of "My Girls"—it reminds me of Glass's circular patterns (though I'm probably giving Animal Collective too much credit; "Floe" is infinitely more complex).
- Bjork, Oceania (from Medúlla, 2004)
Between the beats and the backing vocals—Wooo!—I hear a direct connection between this song and MPP.
- Tough Alliance: 1981 (from A New Chance, 2007)
The first time my brilliant wife heard "My Girls" she texted me: "WTF - new Animal Collective is totally Tough Alliance." There are clear surface similarities, though the Tough Alliance are obviously way more interested in teh 80s synth-pop aesthetics.
- Oskar Sala: Concertando Rubato from Elektronische Tanzsuite (1959)
Something about the intro to "Daily Routine"—maybe it's just those first tentative, random hits of the keyboard, not to mention the tonal similarity.
For your comparison:
- Animal Collective: Daily Routine
And the video for "My Girls":
Comments