Hey guys! Thought I would put together a review of one of my recent favourites, in the hopes I might inspire somebody out there to check out a new artist or purchase some vinyl.

For the record, (pun intended) my tastes range from Leonard Cohen, to Coldplay, to The Strokes, to Jewel, to Gorillaz, to The Cribs, to just about anything else under the sun that sounds good.

This album comes from Avey Tare, or Dave Portner, as he is otherwise known. He is one of the two lead vocalists in a psychedelic, avant-garde (I hate the term but at this moment a more accurate description escapes me) band called Animal Collective. Ever since their inception over ten years ago, they have always been known for producing music that plainly doesn't sound like anything else out there. Your average top-40-goer would probably dismiss it as 'weird,' but I find it to be highly-textured, emotive, and incredibly resourceful music. This album is no exception to the rule, but it's a little bit different from anything Avey Tare has done before.

As the album title and COVER suggest, there is a feeling of darkness that resonates across the entire piece. Sonically, the best way I can describe it is that it sounds like an album recorded in a digital swamp. There are deep, dark echoes, vocals that sound like they are being gurgled through a cacophony of digital transfiguration, curious and intriguing instrumentals, and heartfelt lyrics.

The album swims through some of the harder times in Portner's life, such as his separation from his wife, dealing with his sister's cancer (Heather in the Hospital is one of the more impressive songs on the record) and growing up. And yet, despite the subject matter of the album, Portner manages to capture an essence of hope in each tune, which really makes the entire album feel like a worthwhile listen.

There are moments of curious interaction, as on "Glass Bottom Boat," wherein a man asks of another "Hey do you know how I can get to that cemetary?" and is answered "Sure I can get you there, just step into my boat here." There is great ambience in between tracks, and an uplifting finale in "Lucky 1."

The album itself is on one LP. It's inner sleeve presents a stencil piece that covers the main sleeve, so when you pull it out of the cover it goes from this to this. I'm always a sucker for these little niceties with which us vinyl-lovers are occasionally spoiled. The disc itself is plain black with the album art repeated in the centre. Here is a picture of the disc on my turntable.

The pressing sounds great. It's one of my favourites, actually. For some reason anything I've ever bought from Animal Collective or any of it's members has been superbly pressed. The bass is deep and clear, the highs are accented and the ambient sounds throughout the album are just a pleasure to listen to.

Finally, before I go, I'll leave a youtube link for anybody who feels interested to here some of this album. Trust me, it grows on you.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_QE4FjHZ4rk (Avey Tare - Lucky 1)

Thanks for reading, happy spinning! :)