Strawberry Jam is so far the commercially successful album by Animal Collective to date. This album peaked at #72 on the Billboard Top 200 Charts even though it leaked in mid-July of this year. Animal Collective has had coverage in Rolling Stone Magazine, ring tones, the works. Beyond the mountain of success, popularity, and capitalism, Animal Collective delivered on this release much as they have in the past. Strawberry Jam is possibly their most hook-filled album yet, but it is still dominated by the noise soundscapes that have come to define their last few studio albums and their live sound.
While sounding more like Feels as apposed to any other release, Animal Collective seems to be moving in a more electronic/noise/psychedelic direction. Dissonant sounds, similar to sometimes tour mates Wolf Eyes and Black Dice, create the bottom layer of their ambiance. The melodic guitars, eerie voices, and thrashy tones draw influence from the jams of early psychedelic artists like Syd Barrett and Love and the harsh side of New York noise-bands such as Suicide and Sonic Youth. The pulsing drum beats draw the rhythm in and out of the foreground and give the album an almost danceable/hip-hop quality while still maintaining a droning drip.
This album features all four regulars of the Animal Collective; Panda Bear, Avey Tare, Deakin, and Geologist making this the third full-length to feature the four-piece lineup. It's an accomplishment that all four of them made it out to Arizona to record Strawberry Jam with Panda Bear living in Portugal and most members being involved in side-projects or solo releases. Going with the same producer, Scott Colburn, as they used on the last album, Animal Collective maintains the psychedelic vocalizations and mind-bending electronics jams and still retains a warm, full sound.
This release is a step in the right direction for Animal Collective, they are varying enough from their previous albums but they still hold the same direction that they have been developing since their first release in 2000. All in all, this album is a success and is worthy of the large amount of hype and the high level of sales. This album would not be a wise choice if you are looking for a definitive release, as Animal Collective changes direction so often and has such an eclectic sound that one release will never sum up the whole of the group.
