ROCKS

The first ten seconds of this album will not sound like “typical Animal Collective” to long-time listeners, but then again, by this point, “typical Animal Collective” shouldn’t mean squat to long-time listeners. Animal Collective have now become well-known for their inability to stay static, whether it is seen in their tours in support of albums featuring no songs from those albums and mainly new material, or the way that the content of their “Campfire Songs” album sounds completely different from their last album “Feels.”

“Strawberry Jam” continues in that tradition, and finds a band that has always been interested in shifting and pushing their sonic boundaries once again creating remarkable payoffs for their risks. So what changes are found on the oddly named but ever stunning “Strawberry Jam”? Well, out goes the etherealness, and up front comes the vocals, as the animals make their way deeper into the forest of demented pop songs.

What is bound to catch the most attention on this album is lead singer Avey Tares’ choice to not mask his vocals in effects and layers and other obstructers, to the point where one can actually hear the words he is singing. While on past Animal Collective records, it was the innovative sound of the music that was more important, with the lyrics never playing much of a role other than knowing when to “whoop” at the right time, “Strawberry Jam” gives a very rewarding shift. The quality and uniqueness of the music is still very much there, but on top of that listeners get clever, sincere, and sing-along-able words. For example, on opener “Peacebone,” Avey Tare sings “When I feel like I’m stealing, I can keep myself from hearing God,” a beautiful line that would have been lost in the chaos of “Sung Tongs.”

The great part is “Peacebone” is just the very tip of the iceberg; in nine tracks, the album explores a wide array of sounds and ideas, all while seeming more cohesive than Animal Collective records past. This album definitely feels like it has the same driving pulse throughout, sprinkled with excellent comedowns, which can all be attributed to the seamless
sequencing job. For example the undeniable centerpiece of this album, found fittingly at the center, is “Fireworks,” a contender for my favorite song of the year. In about seven minutes, the song dives into so many aspects of the band’s aesthetic without wasting a second, and prove why Animal Collective is one of the best bands making music today. At over 20 listens this song can still manage to give me goosebumps in the best way possible, and continues to sound fresh.

Ultimately, the thing about this album is that you have to really be willing to give yourself to it if you want to enjoy it for it for its full potential. This is not a record one can feel “meh” about; it is either a magical Narnia you enter or simply a non-descript wardrobe. As Avey Tare says for himself (audibly!) on another stand out track “Winter Wonder Land”: “If you don’t believe in fantasy, then don’t believe in fantasy”. Simple as that.

NADIM DAMLUJI

Look. I’m not trying to make a big deal out of this or anything. I just think if there’s one band that’s seriously overrated these days it’s Animal Collective. Fine, they mix it up. I give them that. They surprise you. Sometimes there are moments where you think, “That was a really great musical moment.” But mostly I think they got lucky cultivating a few really obsessed fans who write novel-long reviews about how great their albums are. And those people were all so well dressed and disaffected that all the wannabe well-dressers and disaffected types decided they’d like Animal Collective, too, because that’s what all the cool kids were doing. Someone(in Diesel jeans) would be like, “Have you heard the new Animal Collective?,” and then someone else (in Levis so obviously from the discount rack) would be like, “Ooooh, yeah. It’s so good.” But they’d have no idea, really. And then they’d buy the album and maybe a T-shirt for good measure, and so the revolution begins. Kind of like The Cure, only different.

“Fireworks” is a pretty good song. I liked it. I’ll put it on my iPod. But just that one.

SOPHIE JOHNSON