Were Animal Collective anything other than the most inexhaustible art-pop group extant they would by now, eight albums down the line, have made a belated dash for the mainstream. As its title implies, though, Strawberry Jam is strange: luxurious and fractious, wistful and atonal, the Beach Boys infused with techno's sensibility. And while that is no more than you might expect, tracks such as Strawberry Jam's first single 'Peacebone' and the choral electronica of 'Chores' demand to be played to those of the opinion that pop has lost its capacity to surprise.
CD: Animal Collective, Strawberry Jam
Paul Mardles
More genre-snubbing gems from the New York-based art-pop crew
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Paul Mardles
Paul Mardles is a subeditor on the Observer New Review
Paul Mardles
The GuardianTramp
