Three years after their blissfully psychedelic brainchild, “Merriweather Post Pavilion,” became one of the most celebrated indie albums of the 2000s, Animal Collective has released their follow–up album, “Centipede Hz.” While “Merriweather” was the well–groomed culmination of multilayer experimentation, “Centipede Hz” is a throwback to their original, garage band sound. In many ways, this isn’t a good thing. Noah Lennox’s relentlessly aggressive vocals, heavily laced with post–production effects, overpower any chance at subtlety or nuance. Overall, the sound is dense, muddled and often abrasive. Still, it is hard to dismiss Animal Collective’s new work in its entirety. Although it is a little rough around the edges, “Centipede Hz” deserves some recognition, as it continues the band’s unapologetic dismissal of audience accessibility and a tradition of unexpected textures and sounds.
2/5 Stars
