Animal Collective: Strawberry Jam

Label: Domino

Animal Collective has churned out one great album after another for years now, so it’s always tempting to brace yourself for a letdown when a new one comes out. Will the bubble burst? Not on Strawberry Jam. Indeed, the band’s latest is explosively melodic and oddly accessible. Here the foursome, consisting of Avey Tare, Panda Bear, Deakin and Geologist, are just bizarre enough for die-hard fans but will undoubtedly fascinate new ones with their affinity for eccentric vocals, driving rhythms and odd arrangements that shouldn’t work but somehow do. The album opens with the cheerfully sinister “Peacebone,” a sentimental monster story with Wizard of Oz vocals and hypnotic drums. The rest of the album runs the gamut from waltzing freak-outs to guitars that sound like crickets. Avey Tare’s vocals are screamier and more compelling; the rhythms are more syncopated and gleefully jarring while retaining the essence of their previous albums. But it’s no longer just the soundtrack to a reverie. It’s amazing, but Animal Collective just keeps getting better and better. (Faith)