REVIEW: Soo, I went to an Animal Collective Listening Party..!

Late last year I posted a blog in reference to Animal Collective having listening parties for their newest opus "Merriweather Post Pavillion". My city, was not on this list:( Enter Monday afternoon. I was surfing da net and spotted a new Animal Collective bulletin; "Merriweather Post Pavilion release parties". Of course I had to check, you know, just in-case my city was on it....it was:) I quickly picked up my phone and called some of my Animal Collective buddies. After setting the times we were ready.

Monday, January 5th

The Slowdown

Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavillion Listening Party (1st US listen party)

The night was going swell. That's right, "swell". Draws were half off all night. Board games were a plenty to keep you visually entertained. And, surprisingly, an empty house?? Making it a very cozy environment. Seriously, I couldn't believe there were only about 20-30 people there! But if they get the bulletin as late as I did theirs a chance they didn't even know about it. This really was last minute planning, I can't stress that enough. I just discovered there was one in my city only 5 hours before the event.

But who am I to say "no" to no cover, half-price draws, board games, and even FREE animal collective schwag(thank you Domino/Animal Collective:)?


I decided while I was listening to the album over the bars slightly muffled, but loud enough, speaker system I would right down notes so I could give the album a "pre-headphone" review. Below are descriptive words of sounds/noises I heard in each individual track. I also placed a "mini-review" next to each track indicating which tracks were the standouts.

Ready, with slightly broken pen in hand...
Pheew....
Breathe in..
Breath out...

Let's start this mofo..
9:24PM - Merriweather Time
Once again, these are just small descriptive words for each track,
NOT a full fledged review.

1. In The Flowers
under water ambience, twangy reverb, folksy rant, hand claps, bird sounds, loud accordion-steel drum, dark/deep synths, distant piano....7.5


2. My Girls
windy, twinkly-star synth sprinkles, arrepgeiated, hollow sounding vocals/backing vocals, tribal stomps, more steel drum, very spacey, hand claps, almost reminiscent of Tough Alliance....8.75(One of my favs)

3. Also Frightened
more bird samples/water noises, tropical rain forest-y, held organ note? harmonizing, constant bass/kick, guitar saturations, great vocal harmonies....6.75

4. Summertime Clothes
more water noises?, machine-like crunchy loop, 4-count kick and bass, 80's synth?? great bass line, high note on keys, hand claps, snare, tambourine, CATCHY....8.75 (So far my fav)

5. Daily Routine
weird, non-sensical, accordion-keybored, weird loop, reverberated vocals, catchy drumming, industrial "NIN" style loops? more ringing?, slows down, into a different song, relaxing....7.75

6. Bluish
thunder noises, guitar strumming, flanger, wah, kazoo, piano, acid trip through an old western, shoegazey guitar....5.5

7. Guys Eyes
Beach Boys harmonizing, throbbing guitar/bass, a lil' repetitive, loud tuba, rain stick, airplane sound??....5.25 (My least fav:()

8. Taste
tropical, claps, steel drum again, good rhythm, pulsing bass, synth arpeggy....6.0

9. Lion In A Coma
mouth-harp, tom drum, stick hitting, dijerdoo, steel drum-again....5.75

10. No More Runnin
reverberated steel drum, ambient whoosh, good headphone track....8.25 (Great track)

11. Brother Sport
leaked single, Beach Boys-y, more tropical, synthy space-lasers shooting, loud spacey fun ride, sonar bloops....7.5

FIRST LISTEN 7 out of 10

Find it here.

Overall, great vibe. But, like all Animal Collective albums, I gotta hear it a few more times before I can make my "real" decision.

Can't wait to get my copy:))))))



P.S. Here's the free schwag I got:



Yeah, I know.
Awesome.