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André Paine's rating
Animal Collective experiment with synths
By
André Paine
13 Jan 2009
An Animal Collective show feels like an event, especially when it’s the first night of the tour and coincides with the release of their ninth album, Merriweather Post Pavilion. The record is a dizzying, sample-strewn, psychedelic experience. Yet this gig wasn’t a typical promotion of a new release. It often sounded as if they were making it up as they went along.
Their combination of layered electronic noises, distorted guitar and mysterious vocals lacked the new album’s accessibility but the band from Baltimore managed to get the audience in a trance-like state. There were some longueurs but occasionally we got shades of Beck, while the surging synths threatened to go Goldfrapp.
Essentially, this was an experimental set and their bloody-minded approach meant some of their really decent tunes weren’t always recognisable.
They came good in the encore, with the electronic swirl and overwrought vocal of Banshee Beat, reminiscent of some of the finest electronic film soundtracks.
Details are correct at the time of publication - please check with venue before booking.
