Merriweather Post Pavilion (album)
Encyclopedia
Merriweather Post Pavilion is the eighth studio album by American indie rock
group Animal Collective
, released in January 2009 on Domino Records. The album is named after the Columbia, Maryland
venue, Merriweather Post Pavilion
. At nearly 55 minutes in length, the album is the group's longest since its debut, Spirit They're Gone, Spirit They've Vanished
. A plan to perform at the actual Merriweather Post Pavilion after the album's release was ultimately discarded, though the band eventually did perform there on July 9, 2011. Merriweather was one of the most critically acclaimed albums of 2009.
in January 2007, Deakin (Josh Dibb, guitarist) decided he would take time off from the group for undisclosed personal reasons. As a result, the group went about writing a new batch of songs to be played without guitar. Drawing inspiration from Panda Bear's
Person Pitch
, the band used samplers as its primary instruments. The group debuted nine of these songs, most of which would later appear on the album, in May 2007 and toured with them through 2008.
. In an interview with the Baltimore City Paper
, Allen stated that the band chose him due to "my work with Gnarls Barkley
, and wanted my low-end expertise". According to band-member Brian Weltz, while "[t]hat was the original attraction", Animal Collective was also impressed by his eclectic music tastes, "[h]e seemed to be somebody that technically knew how to work in [urban hip-hop], but was open-minded to other styles as well. . . . knowing that he’d been involved in a lot of the Bad Boy Records
stuff from the '90s was exciting to us". Subsequently, the band and Allen met over a few conference calls on Skype
in January 2008, and began recording on February 1 at Sweet Tea Recording Studio
in Oxford, Mississippi
.
Privacy during the sessions was paramount for the group, and a significant factor for choosing Sweet Tea. According to Allen, "During the whole month we worked on the album, the only people there were me, my assistant, and the band. No phones or computers. . . . It’s a small town, we were in the South, no one knew who they were. It was nonstop [work]". The studio also offered other advantages; Dave Portner felt Sweet Tea was "the vibiest studio I’ve ever been in. It feels like you’re making music in a living room that just happens to have a Neve 8038 desk in it". Further, since Animal Collective planned to record a sample-heavy album, the studio's large control room was ideal; Weltz stated, "we wanted to do most of the tracking in the same room as the engineer". On Merriweather Post Pavilion, the band wanted to capture a live sound on record, just as it intended to on Strawberry Jam. However, recording methods for the two albums were very different, in Noah Lennox's words, "we went about them in totally opposite ways". While on Strawberry Jam they worked with a live foundation (over which they didn't add too many overdubs), on Merriweather... they "tracked pretty much every sound individually on its own channel, so that we’d have complete control over every sound in the mixing process".
The band adopted a number of unorthodox recording practices. For instance, Animal Collective set up its PA systems in the control room in an attempt to replicate the group's live sound; Weltz said, "since so much of [the album] was electronic and sample-based, we used those PA speakers to make the samples".
cover art is based on the works of Japanese psychologist Akiyoshi Kitaoka
. The download coupon card included with the initial vinyl release explains the album's name:
On November 18, the track "Brother Sport" was leaked onto the internet by way of its inclusion in a French music podcast. The track was subsequently posted on many blogs, including Pitchfork Media
, but was later removed virtually everywhere by the international
internet policing company, Web Sheriff
. On November 24, it was incorrectly reported that the band Grizzly Bear
had leaked the track through their blog. Ed Droste
of Grizzly Bear later cleared up the story, stating that they had only reposted the track as many other blogs had done.
The album was released on vinyl in the United States on January 6, 2009. It was released on both vinyl and CD in the UK on January 12, and on CD and digitally in the United States on January 20. The album peaked at number 13 on the United States
Billboard 200
.
, which assigns a normalized
rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album has received an average
score of 89, based on 36 reviews. Despite its January release, initial critical response proclaimed it one of the best albums of 2009. Slant Magazine
and Uncut
gave the album five out of five stars. Stephen Troussé of Uncut wrote that the album "feels like one of the landmark American albums of the century so far." Andrzej Lukowski of Drowned in Sound
wrote "Is Merriweather Post Pavilion the flawless album that it's been willed to be? Taken as a whole I'd say it's pretty damn close." Amongst negative reviews, Michael Patrick Brady of The Boston Phoenix gave the album two and a half stars out of four, arguing that the album "lacks the playfulness and spontaneity that endeared so many to this group".
Reviews noted the album is Animal Collective's most accessible, as well as a culmination of their previous work. Many have said it is Animal Collective's most Beach Boys-like album, and in this sense an easier listen than most of their earlier, more avant-garde work. Pitchfork Media
gave the album a 9.6 out of 10 rating, stating the album is "striking in its immediacy and comes across as friendly and welcoming". Later that year, Pitchfork ranked Merriweather Post Pavilion 14 on their Top 200 Albums of the 2000s list and also the Album of the Year for 2009. The A.V. Club
called the album a "summation and an expansion of everything Animal Collective has done so far, with a sharper focus on melody and more emboldened vocals that drive the songs." Dave Simpson of The Guardian
gave the album four out of five stars, declaring the album sound as "their most 'pop
'" and the album itself as "a joyful, transcendent record somehow reminiscent of kids let loose in a musical sandpit." Entertainment Weekly
awarded the album an A- stating that although it "won't land the band the opening slot on a Coldplay
tour", the album "cleaves closer to Person Pitch
s more listener-friendly aesthetic". In their 2009 end of year coverage, UK music magazine Clash
named 'Merriweather Post Pavilion' its Album of the Year, publishing an in-depth look at the album and interview with the band's Noah Lennox (a.k.a. Panda Bear). Spin Magazine ranked it the best album of the year, as did Entertainment Weekly
and KEXP
. Rolling Stone
placed it at 14 on their list.
Indie rock
Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include lo-fi, post-rock, math rock, indie pop, dream pop, noise rock, space rock, sadcore, riot grrrl and emo, among others...
group Animal Collective
Animal Collective
Animal Collective is an experimental psychedelic band originally from Baltimore, Maryland, currently based in New York City. Animal Collective consists of Avey Tare , Panda Bear , Deakin , and Geologist...
, released in January 2009 on Domino Records. The album is named after the Columbia, Maryland
Columbia, Maryland
Columbia is a planned community that consists of ten self-contained villages, located in Howard County, Maryland, United States. It began with the idea that a city could enhance its residents' quality of life. Creator and developer James W. Rouse saw the new community in terms of human values, not...
venue, Merriweather Post Pavilion
Merriweather Post Pavilion
Merriweather Post Pavilion is an outdoor concert venue located within Symphony Woods, a 40-acre lot of preserved land in the heart of the planned community of Columbia, Maryland. It was named for the American Post Foods heiress Marjorie Merriweather Post...
. At nearly 55 minutes in length, the album is the group's longest since its debut, Spirit They're Gone, Spirit They've Vanished
Spirit They're Gone, Spirit They've Vanished
Spirit They're Gone, Spirit They've Vanished is the first album by Baltimore based band Animal Collective, released in August 2000 under the name Avey Tare and Panda Bear. The album was released as a CD on the band's own Animal label , and only 2000 copies were made...
. A plan to perform at the actual Merriweather Post Pavilion after the album's release was ultimately discarded, though the band eventually did perform there on July 9, 2011. Merriweather was one of the most critically acclaimed albums of 2009.
Background
After recording Strawberry JamStrawberry Jam
Strawberry Jam is the seventh studio album by American indie rock band Animal Collective. It was released in September 2007, the band's first on Domino Records. The title and track listing were revealed by band member Geologist on the Collected Animals message board on May 16, 2007...
in January 2007, Deakin (Josh Dibb, guitarist) decided he would take time off from the group for undisclosed personal reasons. As a result, the group went about writing a new batch of songs to be played without guitar. Drawing inspiration from Panda Bear's
Panda Bear (musician)
Noah Benjamin Lennox also known as Panda Bear, is an experimental musician and a founding member of Animal Collective.-Early life:...
Person Pitch
Person Pitch
Person Pitch is the third solo album released by Animal Collective member Noah Lennox , released on March 20, 2007. The album was released to high critical acclaim....
, the band used samplers as its primary instruments. The group debuted nine of these songs, most of which would later appear on the album, in May 2007 and toured with them through 2008.
Recording
To record its eighth studio album, Animal Collective sought the services of Ben H. Allen as co-producerRecord producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
. In an interview with the Baltimore City Paper
Baltimore City Paper
Baltimore City Paper is a free alternative weekly newspaper published in Baltimore, Maryland, founded in 1977 by Russ Smith and Alan Hirsch. Current owner Times-Shamrock Communications purchased the paper in 1987...
, Allen stated that the band chose him due to "my work with Gnarls Barkley
Gnarls Barkley
Gnarls Barkley is an American soul duo comprising Danger Mouse and Cee Lo Green. Their first studio album St. Elsewhere was released in 2006; along with its first single "Crazy". Both single and album were a major commercial success and have been noted for their large sales by download...
, and wanted my low-end expertise". According to band-member Brian Weltz, while "[t]hat was the original attraction", Animal Collective was also impressed by his eclectic music tastes, "[h]e seemed to be somebody that technically knew how to work in [urban hip-hop], but was open-minded to other styles as well. . . . knowing that he’d been involved in a lot of the Bad Boy Records
Bad Boy Records
Bad Boy Records is a record label founded in 1993 by producer/rapper/entrepreneur Sean "Diddy" Combs. Today it operates as a subsidiary of Warner Music Group, and is distributed by Atlantic Records.-Beginnings:...
stuff from the '90s was exciting to us". Subsequently, the band and Allen met over a few conference calls on Skype
Skype
Skype is a software application that allows users to make voice and video calls and chat over the Internet. Calls to other users within the Skype service are free, while calls to both traditional landline telephones and mobile phones can be made for a fee using a debit-based user account system...
in January 2008, and began recording on February 1 at Sweet Tea Recording Studio
Sweet Tea Recording Studio
Sweet Tea Recording Studio is a 24-track recording studio in Oxford, Mississippi owned by producer Dennis Herring and operated by Dawn Palladino...
in Oxford, Mississippi
Oxford, Mississippi
Oxford is a city in, and the county seat of, Lafayette County, Mississippi, United States. Founded in 1835, it was named after the British university city of Oxford in hopes of having the state university located there, which it did successfully attract....
.
Privacy during the sessions was paramount for the group, and a significant factor for choosing Sweet Tea. According to Allen, "During the whole month we worked on the album, the only people there were me, my assistant, and the band. No phones or computers. . . . It’s a small town, we were in the South, no one knew who they were. It was nonstop [work]". The studio also offered other advantages; Dave Portner felt Sweet Tea was "the vibiest studio I’ve ever been in. It feels like you’re making music in a living room that just happens to have a Neve 8038 desk in it". Further, since Animal Collective planned to record a sample-heavy album, the studio's large control room was ideal; Weltz stated, "we wanted to do most of the tracking in the same room as the engineer". On Merriweather Post Pavilion, the band wanted to capture a live sound on record, just as it intended to on Strawberry Jam. However, recording methods for the two albums were very different, in Noah Lennox's words, "we went about them in totally opposite ways". While on Strawberry Jam they worked with a live foundation (over which they didn't add too many overdubs), on Merriweather... they "tracked pretty much every sound individually on its own channel, so that we’d have complete control over every sound in the mixing process".
The band adopted a number of unorthodox recording practices. For instance, Animal Collective set up its PA systems in the control room in an attempt to replicate the group's live sound; Weltz said, "since so much of [the album] was electronic and sample-based, we used those PA speakers to make the samples".
Packaging
The optical illusionOptical illusion
An optical illusion is characterized by visually perceived images that differ from objective reality. The information gathered by the eye is processed in the brain to give a perception that does not tally with a physical measurement of the stimulus source...
cover art is based on the works of Japanese psychologist Akiyoshi Kitaoka
Akiyoshi Kitaoka
is a Professor of Psychology at the College of Letters, Ritsumeikan University, Kyoto, Japan.Kitaoka was born in Kochi, Japan. In 1984, he received a BSc from the Department of Biology, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Japan, where he studied animal psychology and neuronal activity of the...
. The download coupon card included with the initial vinyl release explains the album's name:
Merriweather Post Pavilion is an outdoor music venue in a place called Symphony Woods in Columbia, Maryland. It was designed by Frank GehryFrank GehryFrank Owen Gehry, is a Canadian American Pritzker Prize-winning architect based in Los Angeles, California.His buildings, including his private residence, have become tourist attractions...
in 1960s, and they've been having concerts there from 1967 up through today. We used to go to shows there while growing up and have fond memories of times spent on the lawn. For most of the time we've been playing together, both in Animal Collective and the years before, we've tried to make music that would be deserving of an amazing outdoor listening experience. As both a name and a place, Merriweather Post Pavilion represents this for us.
Release
Merriweather Post Pavilion was announced in a cryptic update to Animal Collective's official website on October 5, 2008, an update which initially caused a great deal of confusion about the nature of the news. The site was updated again on October 8 with a link to a second page showing a video of the track listing, which was followed by an official announcement regarding the nature of the news on October 10. Prior to the album's official release, a number of promotional listening parties were held in various cities across the United States and United Kingdom.On November 18, the track "Brother Sport" was leaked onto the internet by way of its inclusion in a French music podcast. The track was subsequently posted on many blogs, including Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media, usually known simply as Pitchfork or P4k, is a Chicago-based daily Internet publication established in 1995 that is devoted to music criticism and commentary, music news, and artist interviews. Its focus is on underground and independent music, especially indie rock...
, but was later removed virtually everywhere by the international
International
----International mostly means something that involves more than one country. The term international as a word means involvement of, interaction between or encompassing more than one nation, or generally beyond national boundaries...
internet policing company, Web Sheriff
Web Sheriff
Web Sheriff is an anti-piracy company based in the United Kingdom that provides intellectual property, copyright and privacy rights protection services for a range of clients that include record labels, musical artists, media organizations, and celebrities. The company monitors various websites...
. On November 24, it was incorrectly reported that the band Grizzly Bear
Grizzly Bear (band)
Grizzly Bear is a Brooklyn-based indie rock band, composed of Edward Droste , Daniel Rossen , Chris Taylor and Christopher Bear . The band employs traditional and electronic instruments...
had leaked the track through their blog. Ed Droste
Ed Droste
Edward "Ed" Droste is an original member of the Brooklyn-based indie-rock group, Grizzly Bear. The group began as the solo effort of Droste with the release of 2004's Horn of Plenty, originally released on Kanine Records. All songs were written and performed by Droste...
of Grizzly Bear later cleared up the story, stating that they had only reposted the track as many other blogs had done.
The album was released on vinyl in the United States on January 6, 2009. It was released on both vinyl and CD in the UK on January 12, and on CD and digitally in the United States on January 20. The album peaked at number 13 on the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
.
Reception
Initial critical response was highly positive. At MetacriticMetacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
, which assigns a normalized
Standard score
In statistics, a standard score indicates how many standard deviations an observation or datum is above or below the mean. It is a dimensionless quantity derived by subtracting the population mean from an individual raw score and then dividing the difference by the population standard deviation...
rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album has received an average
Weighted mean
The weighted mean is similar to an arithmetic mean , where instead of each of the data points contributing equally to the final average, some data points contribute more than others...
score of 89, based on 36 reviews. Despite its January release, initial critical response proclaimed it one of the best albums of 2009. Slant Magazine
Slant Magazine
Slant Magazine is an online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New York Film Festival.- History :...
and Uncut
UNCUT (magazine)
Uncut magazine, trademarked as UNCUT, is a monthly publication based in London. It is available across the English-speaking world, and focuses on music, but also includes film and books sections...
gave the album five out of five stars. Stephen Troussé of Uncut wrote that the album "feels like one of the landmark American albums of the century so far." Andrzej Lukowski of Drowned in Sound
Drowned in Sound
DrownedinSound.com or DiS is a UK based music webzine financed by artist management company Silentway . The site is an editorially independent music website.-History:...
wrote "Is Merriweather Post Pavilion the flawless album that it's been willed to be? Taken as a whole I'd say it's pretty damn close." Amongst negative reviews, Michael Patrick Brady of The Boston Phoenix gave the album two and a half stars out of four, arguing that the album "lacks the playfulness and spontaneity that endeared so many to this group".
Reviews noted the album is Animal Collective's most accessible, as well as a culmination of their previous work. Many have said it is Animal Collective's most Beach Boys-like album, and in this sense an easier listen than most of their earlier, more avant-garde work. Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media, usually known simply as Pitchfork or P4k, is a Chicago-based daily Internet publication established in 1995 that is devoted to music criticism and commentary, music news, and artist interviews. Its focus is on underground and independent music, especially indie rock...
gave the album a 9.6 out of 10 rating, stating the album is "striking in its immediacy and comes across as friendly and welcoming". Later that year, Pitchfork ranked Merriweather Post Pavilion 14 on their Top 200 Albums of the 2000s list and also the Album of the Year for 2009. The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club is an entertainment newspaper and website published by The Onion. Its features include reviews of new films, music, television, books, games and DVDs, as well as interviews and other regular offerings examining both new and classic media and other elements of pop culture. Unlike its...
called the album a "summation and an expansion of everything Animal Collective has done so far, with a sharper focus on melody and more emboldened vocals that drive the songs." Dave Simpson of The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
gave the album four out of five stars, declaring the album sound as "their most 'pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
'" and the album itself as "a joyful, transcendent record somehow reminiscent of kids let loose in a musical sandpit." Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
awarded the album an A- stating that although it "won't land the band the opening slot on a Coldplay
Coldplay
Coldplay are a British alternative rock band formed in 1996 by lead vocalist Chris Martin and lead guitarist Jonny Buckland at University College London. After they formed Pectoralz, Guy Berryman joined the group as a bassist and they changed their name to Starfish. Will Champion joined as a...
tour", the album "cleaves closer to Person Pitch
Person Pitch
Person Pitch is the third solo album released by Animal Collective member Noah Lennox , released on March 20, 2007. The album was released to high critical acclaim....
s more listener-friendly aesthetic". In their 2009 end of year coverage, UK music magazine Clash
Clash (magazine)
Clash is a popular music and fashion magazine based in the United Kingdom. Its magazine title is published 12 times a year. It has a circulation of around 40,000....
named 'Merriweather Post Pavilion' its Album of the Year, publishing an in-depth look at the album and interview with the band's Noah Lennox (a.k.a. Panda Bear). Spin Magazine ranked it the best album of the year, as did Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
and KEXP
KEXP
KEXP-FM is a public radio station based in Seattle, Washington, that specializes in alternative and indie rock programmed by its disc jockeys. Its broadcasting license is owned by the University of Washington, which operates the station in a partnership with Paul Allen's Experience Music Project...
. Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
placed it at 14 on their list.
Track listing
All songs written and composed by Animal Collective, except where noted.- "In the Flowers" – 5:22
- "My GirlsMy Girls"My Girls" is a song by Animal Collective, released as the first single from their critically acclaimed 2009 album Merriweather Post Pavilion. It was released on March 23, 2009 by Domino Records as a promo CD only...
" – 5:40 - "Also Frightened" – 5:14
- "Summertime ClothesSummertime Clothes"Summertime Clothes" is the second single from Animal Collective's 2009 album Merriweather Post Pavilion, released on June 29, 2009 in the UK and on July 7, 2009 in the US by Domino Records. The single features three new remixes of the song by Dâm-Funk, Leon Day, and Zomby, and is available as a...
" – 4:30 - "Daily Routine" – 5:46
- "Bluish" – 5:13
- "Guys Eyes" – 4:30
- "Taste" – 3:53
- "Lion in a Coma" (Animal Collective, Lathozi Mpahleni Manquin Madosini) – 4:12
- "No More Runnin" – 4:23
- "Brother SportBrother Sport"Brother Sport" is the third single from Animal Collective's 2009 album Merriweather Post Pavilion, released on November 9, 2009 by Domino Records. The single is available as a 10" vinyl single and as a digital download. It was written by Panda Bear to encourage his brother into talking about...
" – 5:59
Chart positions
| Chart (2008) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian ARIA Albums Chart | 63 |
| Spanish Record Charts | 86 |
| UK Albums Chart UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
26 |
| U.S. Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
13 |
| U.S. Top Independent Albums | 2 |
Personnel
- Avey TareAvey TareAvey Tare is a musician and founding member of Animal Collective. Portner lives in Brooklyn, NY.-Animal Collective:...
– vocals, electronics, samples, keys, guitar, percussion - Panda BearPanda Bear (musician)Noah Benjamin Lennox also known as Panda Bear, is an experimental musician and a founding member of Animal Collective.-Early life:...
– vocals, samples, electronics, percussion - GeologistGeologist (musician)Geologist is a founding member of Animal Collective. He provides electronic sound manipulations and samples for the band.Geologist grew up in Philadelphia and Baltimore and currently lives in Washington DC....
– electronics, samples - Ben Allen – engineeringAudio engineeringAn audio engineer, also called audio technician, audio technologist or sound technician, is a specialist in a skilled trade that deals with the use of machinery and equipment for the recording, mixing and reproduction of sounds. The field draws on many artistic and vocational areas, including...
, mixingAudio mixing (recorded music)In audio recording, audio mixing is the process by which multiple recorded sounds are combined into one or more channels, most commonly two-channel stereo. In the process, the source signals' level, frequency content, dynamics, and panoramic position are manipulated and effects such as reverb may... - Aaron Ersoy – Assistant Engineer