Animal Collective: "Merriweather Post Pavillion"

I hate when electronic music comes on in a public place because I can't enjoy it.  I have no dancing ability and have trouble connecting with others while listening to electronic songs, which ruins my enjoyment of the songs.  Unlike guitar based rock music, which one can just stand and nod along with and not look too terribly out of place, publicly showing your appreciation to electronica involves contortions and movements that will never come out of my body.  Yet, with headphones on or in the comfort of my own home, I love me some electronic music.  I considered myself a fan of Girl Talk way before he quit his day job as a biomedical engineer and I have dabbled in diverse electronic acts to compliment my love of all things folksy and earthy.

I write that paragraph as a disclaimer before I relate how much I like the new-ish Animal Collective album, Merriweather Post Pavilion, and to maybe dissuade people from thinking I'm just some poser who likes whatever Pitchfork tells me to like.  This album is great from start to finish; there is just no way to hide that fact.  The standout single, "My Girls," captivated me from the first listen and the depth of the songs and the intelligence of the writing on the whole album keeps me coming back for more.  Most mainstream electric music that might be popular in clubs and for dancing can seem sterile and corporate to me, but Animal Collective permeates their songs with a warmth that elevates them beyond just clever beats tapped out on keyboards and laptops.

I can't believe that I walked out of an Animal Collective show last summer!   I mean, I can because, as mentioned, I did not know what to do with myself as at their show.  However, do not let your ears miss out on this tasty album.  Released at the very beginning of 2009, it will take a monumentally good album to displace Merriweather from its current perch as my album of the year (I'm looking at you Wilco and Grizzly Bear).

Listen.

(Oh, as an aside, the new album from Dan Deacon, Bromst, is currently streaming online at NPR and I'll hopefully have a review up soon of what I hope is another tasty electronic based treat.)