Merriweather Post Pavilion: Album of the year already?!

Greetings fellow music fans. How were all of your holidays? Have you sufficiently made new year's resolutions and broken them all by now? That's what I thought.

But the subject of this post does not have anything to do with broken promises and bulging waistlines, the subject is the new Animal Collective album Merriweather Post Pavilion. Now 2009 has barely cleaned the placental goo off itself, but this album is already being pegged for album of the year.

It seems the blogosphere (which is actually in the shape of a cube) is ready to just hand AC the award, complete with flowers and teary eyed acceptance speech. But to me this just begs the question: WTFlip?

Have these people completely forgotten about other bands coming out with albums? Lily Allen? Bon Iver? The New Pornographers? Any of these artists on top the countless others releasing albums this year have the chance to take the top nod if they make their albums right. Even the Doctor himself is releasing an album, and who's to say that he doesn't drop some inexplicably hot, Fleet Foxes, beat-boxing-esque rhymes and blow us off our feet? So why is Merriweather Post Pavilion making blogs and music sites collectively and prematurely jizz their pants?

Granted, Animal Collective are good. They've earned the buzz and the hype. They've earned the hookers, booze and life-time supply of Sham Wows. But do they deserve this type of praise so early on in this year of music? The answer is no.

I just happen to have gotten my hot little hands on a vinyl version of this album (which has been released before it hits the shelves in electro magnetic disc form on January 20th) and listened to it a good 5 times as to provide an honest viewpoint. Is it good? Yes. Does it make you think that you took too much LSD when you look at the cover? Check it out for yourself. (it's freaky) Does it make your brain explode a little bit more every time you listen to it due to sheer awesomeness levels? No. The long and short of Merriweather Post Pavilion is that it's an ok album. It's competently made, sounds great, and they even try a few new things that make for cool, dynamic sounding tracks. But is it the best of the year? No, not at all.

How about all bloggers and music sites out there do us all a favor and make a resolution to hold off judgments until December 2009, and maybe give some other artists a chance to blow our heads off with greatness.