ANIMAL COLLECTIVE – Painting With

Animal Collective – Painting With (2016, Domino)

Many labels can be attached to Animal Collective’s music; psychedelic pop, indie electro pop, indie rock with electro, experimental pop, etc. Formed of Panda Bear (Noah Lennox), Geologist (Brian Weitz), and Avey Tare (David Michael Portner), the once quartet is now a trio since the departure of Deakin (Joshua Dibb) after the tour for Centipede Hz has released Painting With while each member has a solo career. Panda Bear with the most successful one with a very strong album in 2015.

On Painting With, Animal Collective seems to still know how to make a record that can easily hook its listener with very interesting songs but never as solid as on Strawberry Jam or even Merriweather Post Pavilion. Both albums I must say are regarded as the pinnacle of the band’s career. Personally, Strawberry Jam is one of the best records of all time.

Painting With is highly addictive and keeps playing at least once a day in my ears since it was released and I can’t seem to get tired from it. But it leaves me wanting more and not as fulfilled as with their previous work. As if, the pattern or lack of that is Animal Collective’s signature has made them some sort of a formulaic writing process and they reached a point where their music maturated into a steady fan base accepting Centipede Hz and being fine with a follow-up as good but not great.

The highlights of this release are ‘’Golden Gals’’ ‘’Recycling’’ ‘’FloriDada’’ while ‘’Bagels in Kiev’’ and ‘’The Burglar’’ are not as dense and seem to get into familiar territories of their Beach Boys complex.  

As much as I am a fan of Animal Collective I think that Painting With is an average album that let itself be listened but that still can’t even compete with Panda Bear Meets the Grim Reaper. However, average Animal Collective is better than many good records from a whole bunch of bands.

6.0