ALBUM REVIEW: “Centipede HZ” by Animal Collective

Animal Collective
Centipede HZ
[Domino Records]

The full “collective” of Animal Collective comprised of David Portner (Avey Tare), Noah Lennox (Panda Bear), Josh Dibb (Deakin), and Brian Weitz (Geologist) were all on hand to lend their talents for Centipede HZ, their ninth LP.

Taken as a whole, Centipede HZ feels like being dropped into a kinetic hypnagogic space or walking into a jam session between talented music makers with ADD that ran out of Ritalin. Some highlights include the psychedelic synth filled melody of “Today’s Supernatural.” “Applesauce” is a quirky ballad about the thick, fruity blend of the same name. The harmonic undulations of “Father Time.” The flickering electro relentlessness of “Monkey Riches,” and more. The album manages to be both addled yet intelligible at the same time.

After the highly praised Merriweather Post Pavilion where we only saw three members of Animal Collective make contributions, it’s good to have Deakin back. Centipede HZ, is an album full of oddities that is oddly fun. Akin to the effects of strobe lights on your ocular senses, it is an in-your-face sound blitz on one’s audible capacity.