Animal Collective

Since Animal Collective busted onto the scene back in 2000, the indie music world has seen no shortage of bands trying to make the AC shtick work for them. Avant-garde rockers who refuse to be categorized and flaunt their love of instrumental cacophony, the sometimes three-piece have made a career out of experimentation, gathering plenty of fanatics along the way. And with the soon-to-be-released Merriweather Post Pavilion, the Baltimore-based trio has somehow managed to live up to the hype. While the 11-song collection flirts with everything from swirling psychedelic synth (“Summertime Clothes”) to African rhythms (“Lion in a Coma”) to gleeful circus pop (“Brother Sport”), the result remains cohesive. It’s a delightful sonic mish-mosh that deserves to be picked apart, studied, and stored away for future generations to treasure.