People need things they can hold onto, and the quality of Animal Collective’s records used to be one of these things. The band from Baltimore used to move within output-coordinates ranging between experimental, freak folk, indie, psychedelic and noise, and they always came up with new perspectives and angles within that system. But those days are gone, as they prove with their ninth album »Centipede Hz«, because it sticks to the mashy sound of »Strawberry Jam« and can’t add anything new to it. When the melody in »Mercury Man« finally becomes apparent, it can’t create denseness – it’s just a few notes on top of the eternal rehash of all kinds of electronica. Avey Tare is the one behind the controllers on »Centipede Hz« and therefore has the biggest say most of the time. Hence, »New Town Burnout« with Panda Bear’s vocals doesn’t fit the context, at all. The arcs of melody all fit together and the track immediately fogs your brain, just like they used to do on the previous records – and then the hustle and bustle of »Monkey Bitches« sets in. Of course, music is allowed to be strenuous, but Animal Collective follow that road without being challenging at the same time. Many tracks, like »Today’s Supernatural« offer numerous potential turning points, but they all pass by unused. The soundscapes of former days are now just slippery surfaces – but this time, no one’s gonna catch you. And that might just be the record’s biggest disappointment.
Centipede HZ
