Shazam’s Music Of The Decade – Animal Collective
Those who like their music new and ground breaking will find little trouble at choosing their band of the decade: Animal Collective’s achievements clearly outdo any competitors.
The band’s evolution has run in parallel to that of cutting edge music in the States. From the masked live shows and psychedelic freak-folk of their beginnings in Baltimore to recently breaking into mainstream acclaim, Animal Collective encapsulated like no other the most creative sounds the last ten years had on offer. Drinking in sources as diverse as LSD induced tribe-like chants and percussion trips, Krautrock loops, sound samples, noise and drone to create intense aural landscapes.
The group was originally formed by Avey Tare and Panda Bear; with Deakin and Geologist joining shortly afterwards – a mobile line-up that has seen every member coming and going through their output. Their fifth record ‘Sung Tongs’, recorded by the Avey Tare/Panda Bear initial core, shaped their experimental ways into tracks resembling fully fleshed out songs, spawning cult classics such as ‘Who Could Win A Rabbit’ or ‘Leaf House’. It was this moment where they began gaining international notoriety, as their reputation earned them a deal with British label Fat Cat. Next giant step came in 2005 with ‘Feels’, where the embellishing hand of Dave Fridmann helped on production; in a move that was considered Animal Collective’s expansion towards more established indie circles.
Since then, they’ve never stopped surprising. ‘Strawberry Jam’ saw the band toying with electronic loops; then Panda Bear released a landmark solo album - ’Person Pitch - drenched in sunny psychedelia and Brian Wilson-like vocal harmonies. Collating the main elements of both, next to a selection of the band’s former kaleidoscope of influences, AC finally produced one of this decade’s true masterpieces: 2009’s ‘Merriweather Post Pavilion’.
Deakin, the collective’s guitar player, had decided to take some time off his music duties, so the songs were written to be played without guitar; using samples as its main glue instead. And it worked! Since the “Beach Boys meets Frankie Knuckles” first notes of ‘My Girls‘ hit the blogosphere, Pavilion was instantly acclaimed as the album of the year. Twelve months afterwards, the record validated its title, as no other album was able to replace it. Highlights were aplenty: ‘Brother Sport’, ‘In the Flowers’, and ’Summertime Clothes’ all resonate in the minds of all-time AC’s fans, whereas their accessible melodies, gained them newer and bigger audiences. The recording process was so fertile that the band’s just released a five-track EP ‘Be Kind Fall’ with the songs that didn’t make the final cut, putting the cream on top to a year and a decade in which they’ve reigned supreme.
