No Preservatives

Strawberry Jam
Animal Collective
Domino, 2007
4.5 stars

The opening track of Animal Collective's sixth studio album starts out like a Magic Eye pattern; initially just a confused static of computer blips and noises, it quickly shifts into focus to form a bouncy electronic trance that throbs away in the background for most of the 40-plus crazy minutes to come. Bubbles of noise, animal yelps and accidental vocal harmonies swirl in and around electronic samples and tribal percussion to form nine equally confusing and intoxicating chapters, including Fireworks and Cuckoo Cuckoo - two of the best and most accessible tracks these guys have released to date. Strawberry jam? Perhaps - this is more like a sugar-drenched conserve made from the poison-sprayed blackberries growing over the back fence of the vacant block next door. Get into it.

Artwork: B+

Published in mX, Thursday 13 September 2007.