Tunes Consumed: the Poutine Silver Platter

Since our first “holy shit, strawberry jam is coming” post on June 12th, anticipation has been steadily increasing to hear the Animal Collective’s new LP. And, today, I finally got the opportunity to spin it in it’s entirety.

What can I say? Over the last month, there have been many, many small leaks. A song here, a track there. Hell, just yesterday the band put out a video for “Fireworks” - which gives another glimpse of what to expect from the full-length.

And so, following all that hype & anticipation… How can we react to the record in its sequenced entirety?

The most honest answer is that if you liked the preview leaks, you’ll like the album. Strawberry Jam, as far as Animal Collective albums go, feels more consistent than anything they’ve put out before. Pretty much every song is upbeat and, in a definite psychedelic off-kilter way, poppy. Sure, tracks like “For Reverend Green” might have a bit more flat-out screaming than a typical song, but even at it’s most intense - you can’t deny that there isn’t an underlying sense of melody.

“#1″ might just be the most difficult song on the album, with it’s mix of chanting and warbling monotone sing-talk over constant synth arpeggios & laser noises… it isn’t anything near the realm of conventional. I could see (and feel like I have heard) other modern/freak-folk bands attempting the same kind of overall structure - just replace the synth with guitar. And, honestly, I probably would hate the song for being boring & typical. But here… the choice of sounds makes the whole thing feel like it should belong in some adaptation of 2001, portraying endless exploration in the face of all odds. It is more satisfying than it should be.

“Winter Wonder Land” talks about being “frozen here for days” but, still, “inside I’m OK” ‘cuz the snow will one day melt. This expands to incorporate not believing in things like fantasy and happiness because, hey, it just might get you down. And, while it is the briefest song on the album (clocking in at a mere 2:44), it is dense - you need to strain to hear the layered nuances… but the rewards are paramount. To me, it is the “Grass” of Strawberry Jam. I could (and probably will) listen to it on repeat for hours.

The band uses restraint like I’ve never heard them do before on “Cuckoo Cuckoo” - with its simple piano & vocals base (with slight electronic flourishes) that, periodically, explodes in a fury of noise. It is both foreboding & fantastic.

The album ends with “Derek”, which kind of brings the entire concept together. It is calm waters, feeling like childhood innocence. The breakdown and subsequent build-up ’round the 1:40 mark brings the album to an epic closure - where, really, the only thing to be sad about is that the whole thing is over. That is, until you go back and hit that play button again. Then, it is like Christmas… all over again.

additional incentive:
Animal Collective - Winter Wonder Land.
(due to the sheer number of songs previously leaked… I’m going to leave it at that. Go watch “Fireworks” again. Relisten to “Peacebone”. Then, just try to convince me that it isn’t worth purchasing.)

Strawberry Jam will be officially released September 7th from Domino.