Centipede Hz, by Animal Collective

The pop tendencies of 2009's Merriweather Post Pavilion have been put on the back burner for AnCo's latest release. It's not a bad thing, but c'mon, a little pop can never hurt. What does hurt is the inability to tone down the layers of sound. I get how every noise — from laser effects to monkeys — shows how devoted the band is to making their weird-psych-experimental vibe work, but sometimes they go too far.

The choice of "Today's Supernatural" to be the lead single was no mistake. The growl of "Come on l-l-let go!" by Avey Tare fulfills the AnCo punch that fans have missed. "Father Time" is one of the more "stripped-down" tracks with an eerie lullaby vibe; it’s almost making a strange attempt to soothe you for the uncertainty of life.

"Monkey Riches" is an unexpected soulful song where the question, "Why am I still looking for a golden age?" is brought up among an industrial-psych backbeat. The question just builds up and up with no answer coming anytime soon. Do we really want an answer? Just keep bringing the weird, please.

• Album: Centipede Hz
• Artist: Animal Collective
• Label: Domino Recording
• Songs: "Moonjock" "Today's Supernatural" "Rosie Oh" "Applesauce" "Wide Eyed" "Father Time" "New Town Burnout" "Monkey Riches" "Mercury Man" "Pulleys" "Amanita"