NRT: Animal Collective, the Gourds

Animal Collective Merriweather Post Pavilion (Domino)

One of 2009's most anticipated albums arrives early today, on double gatefold 180 gram vinyl with full album download card in WAV or MP3 format. Oh, and a poster. On the 20th, you'll be able to grab the CD version in stores. This album is already receiving high praise, and after listening a few times, we're hearing why. "In the Flowers" begins with sludgy samples and distant chanting, giving us a hint of what's to come on the album (read: challenging arrangements that push most of the songs right to the edge of melody). The psychedelic meandering tucked in with loops and samples pays off almost exactly in the middle of the tune with a thundering bass/tom tom combination and reliable chord steadying the composition together from the synths. Finally, the vocals become a partnered, melodic exchange and the piece returns to its original theme, which this time makes more sense and is almost a sigh of relief from the busty mid-section. This is the primary trick Animal Collective deploy across Merriweather: pitting pop melodies squarely against explosive moments of total experimentation. Listeners who have never been interested might not become converts, but solid fans will be more than pleased. Other standout tracks include "My Girls" and "Bluish."

Animal Collective: [MySpace] [Official]

The Gourds Haymaker! (Yep Roc)

Kevin ‘Shinyribs’ Russell, Jimmy Smith, Max Johnston, Keith Langford and Claude Bernard have been Austin's most reliable roots music envelope-pushers for over 15 years, and their latest album is a testament to another way in which experimentation combined with tradition can, when done well, really knock things right out of the park. They're still playing a sort of post-modern Americana, leaning on downright Menckian wordplay and compositional eccentricity to make an impression, but they're also finding a more predictable narrative on this album. Songs like "Promenade" and "Country Gal" shimmer in this new sort of combination nicely. Haymaker! was recorded in Austin with engineer Stuart Sullivan, who engineered the band's previous effort, Cow Fish.

The Gourds: [MySpace] [Official]