14. Atlas Sound – Logos
Andy : 38 :: Dave : 4
Bradford Cox has perhaps become my favorite indie artist alive today. As the main cog in Deerhunter he presided over one of my favorite albums of the last year in Microcastle, and now under his solo alias Atlas Sound, has created one of my favorite albums of this year. Atlas Sound serves to exercise all of the musical leanings Cox is precluded to but can not, or does not with his usual band.
To that end, as you may have read elsewhere, Cox uses Atlas Sound to experiment with styles of many of his favorite artists today. The center piece of the record, ‘Quick Canal,’ features Stereolab singer Laetitia Sadler, who wrote the lyrics. With Cox’s music accompanying Sadler’s lyrics on the track it emulates an actual Stereolab song. On track ‘Walkabout’ you have a clear highlight. A collaboration with Noah Lennox, aka Panda Bear, of solo and Animal Collective fame, the song is a damn near perfect pop tune with just about the catchiest keyboards you will ever hear. If not for Lennox’s band creating one of the great songs of the decade in ‘My Girls’, ‘Walkabout’ could have been in the same discussion, and I feel it should be regardless. The styles change from track to track and feel as if Cox is just trying to see if he can make a song that would fit on a record of one of his favorite artists, yet the tracks never feel as if he is not staying true to his own style. To me, that is the mark of a truly great artist.
Atlas Sound – Shelia (mp3) from Logos
13. Animal Collective – Merriweather Post Pavilion
Andy : 16 :: Dave : 24
Animal Collective has been an acquired taste for me. I’ve never been an immediate fan of their albums, although I can recognize the genius contained therein. Generally, it’s a single song that grabs me – “Fireworks” from Strawberry Jam, for example – and the remainder of the album falls by the wayside.
It’s not been entirely different for me with Merriweather Post Pavilion. Heralded from its release in January as a contender for album of the year, my focus was immediately on “My Girls” (like everyone else), and didn’t come back to the remainder of the album until much more recently. Named for an outdoor music venue in Maryland, Animal Collective wanted the album to be worthy of “an amazing outdoor experience.” Upon hearing the result, it’s obvious that they’ve reached their goal.
Merriweather Post Pavilion is vibrant and colorful – filled with dreamy neo-psychedelia. It’s their most easily accessible album; but while it may lack some of the edge of their previous efforts, the band makes sure to retain their knack for filling the expanse with as many idiosyncracies as possible. A more listener-friendly, inclusive Animal Collective is equally undeniable, and arguably better.
Animal Collective – Guys Eyes (mp3) from Merriweather Post Pavilion
I’ve been trying to come up with the proper words for a fatherhood post. There are things I would like to say about it, but at the same time I am a fairly private person and don’t wish to have everyone that reads this know exactly how I feel. So I will be brief. If all this gushiness confuses you and you don’t know what this project is about, go 
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Mired in a heat wave around here, this week’s Smörgåsbord is designed to be light and easy to digest. You don’t want to be weighed down when it’s hot like this. Find a fan and get yourself a cold drink to wash down the goodness – starting with a cover I hadn’t heard before this past week, an even funkier remix of one of our favorite songs of the year, and a remix from everyone’s favorite collective. Not too much bread; you’ll spoil the rest of the meal.
I hope everyone had a safe and enjoyable weekend.
We posted a quick note about this on our Twitter feed, but thought we should pose it here:
