Down There [Import]

Considering the amount of reviews for projects by other members of Animal Collective (certainly Panda Bear's undeniable 'Person Pitch'), I was surprised to find how few there were for Down There. While the album may not have had enough time to make a splash at this point, it is well worth the listen for fans of Avey Tare and other associated Animal Collective members.

Before purchasing, I spent a few minutes reading reviews elsewhere [than Amazon] online, and many were at least politely negative, while others were quite harsh. Even a positive review mentioned 'wordless vocals' and somehow made the whole thing sound more like an experiment than the polished, thematic whole that I'm hearing on my end. In my mind, what Avey has done here is incredible.

[The Emotional Part]
Where 'Person Pitch' (sorry, but the comparison is somewhat helpful/inevitable) took the grassroots, tribal sound of Animal Collective in a shimmering sunlit direction, 'Down There' uses those same distinctive elements to create a dark and swampy world, one that is perhaps more personal and revealing than the nonstop all-encompassing positivity of Panda's album. Here Avey invites us to wander in a beautiful, mysterious soundscape populated by all manner of unseen characters and chirping electronic beings. The mood that is created here is nothing less than arresting, and the theme is so atmospheric that at times Avey's voice feels like a will'o'wisp, pulling the listener along a path while myriad curiosities float by just out of sight on either side. Much of the album feels like tentative exploration into a foreign and potentially dangerous land; these are followed by places that one wants to linger, beautiful moments of clarity and discovery. Yet all along there is no stopping, as the next movement is already illuminating the path ahead.

I love Panda's offerings, and Animal Collective is incredible in so many ways and along so many different sonic variations. Their overwhelming lyrical positivity and intensely personal feel has changed the way that I see music. But this album acknowledges another side of our nature: the ambivalent swampy isolation of being a living, thinking being.

[Musically]
I think it worth saying that I am not usually a fan of ambient music, and do not want to confuse the issue: this disc creates an atmosphere, but not through a lack of structure or endless droning electronics. Like a lot of Avey/Animal Collective music, there are moments of cacophony that take multiple listens to tease apart into meaningful wholes, but the 'story' of this album, its thematic presence, has a way of compelling the listener with the promise of something different - if not greater - than resolution to an accesible hook.

I have read many reviews that name one or two songs as being 'stand-out,' but in my mind there is no filler here, and the fact that Tare is even able to weave hooks into the broken and organic atmosphere calls to mind alchemy and magic more than simple musicality.

The initial track features blistering, anguished vocals that make cannot help but draw the listener's attention and sets the swampy, wet mood that characterizes most of the album. '3 Umbrellas' is a relatively upbeat romp through a murky pond, and 'Oliver Twist' pulls the energy in a darker direction again, dripping vocals and drumbeats balanced deftly atop throbbing bass that is more reminiscent of dubstep than I've heard on any Collective album thusfar. 'Glass Bottom Boat' takes the form of a brief atmospheric interlude, a boat ride punctuated by the calls of unseen electronic creatures. It serves as a welcome break before the quite listenable 'Ghost of Books' and the quiet, tentative sound of 'Cemetaries.' 'Heads Hammock' is one of the oft-mentioned 'singles' on the album and brings back some of the energetic movement of 'Oliver Twist.'

The next two songs seem to indicate a break in the theme; 'Heather in the Hospital' is surprisingly direct in its lyricism and I have to admit a certain dislike for the otherwise accessible track as it seems to pull the listener from the swamps and back to concrete reality in time for the ringing capstone, 'Lucky 1.' I have no doubt that this change in mood is intentional, but by the time Avey gives us a way out, I find myself wanting to stay in the watery beats and dense undergrowth to the degree that the album's resolution comes as an unwelcome shock to the senses. But who am I to complain - it's a rare album that makes you want to rest in its interior instead of moving to the next hook.

If you have never listened to Animal Collective or Panda Bear (and would consider $15 'wasted' when discovering new music), I would be tempted to tell the buyer to give the more accesible 'Person Pitch' or 'Merriweather Post Pavilion' a try. Those CDs could certainly help lay the groundwork for this bit of experimentation. Then again, if you're willing to lay back and let this disc work its magic without too many preconceptions about what constitutes song structure or what content music 'should' be written about, I think that this disc would stand alone from Panda and the Collective without any trouble, even to new listeners.

I think it's an amazing personal and musical experience, and I can't wait to hear it again.

Down There is a step away from Animal Collective but in a wonderful new direction. Theres somewhat of a darker feel, but with Avey's chanting voice and haunting background sounds, Down There takes you into another world. A big fan of AC, and Avey and Panda's side projects, I highly suggest you check out this album. On a rainy overcast day, this album is glorious!

Who knew what was going to follow the AC breakout album MPP. Luckily Avey had not run out of musical ideas. His debut solo album, Down There, was released nearly 4 months ago with barely any recognition or praise from alternative based music publications. So I was eager to find out how much attention and how many ratings had been awarded on amazon.com. Unfortunately, it seemed to have reflected it's overall media impact. I would be interested in knowing how many copies have been sold since it's release.
The album:
both the first track - Laughing Hieroglyphic
and 3 Umbrellas were the first two songs to move me and cause me to
cry. I've never experienced this kind of emotional reaction from listening to music. I had never felt the pain heard by Avey's voice in the first song, and i've never heard anything so happy and wonderful as the 2nd track. The agony and joy found in his voice is so human, so beautiful and sad that when I really focus solely on the music, all I could do was cry. Some of the tracks on this album are pure genius [masterpiece]. track 1, 2 and 5 alone, make this one of the best records ever, the songs left over are not nearly as good to me. this is such amazing album, just give it a listen. You'll find yourself singing along on the first song, not remembering when you had felt such emotion come through the music. Hopefully you will come to value this album as I have.

› Go to Amazon.com to see all 7 reviews  4.4 out of 5 stars