Music Review: Avey Tare - Down There

I'm not usually of the belief that a bad first impression matters much when it comes to music. Usually, the most rewarding music is that which you have to work at before you truly appreciate it. It might not click with you the first time you sit down to listen to it for any number of reasons, but after a handful of play-throughs you come to enjoy it for what it is, not what you expected it to be. And that mostly sums up my experience with Avey Tare's new release.

The new solo release by the man better known as a part of Animal Collective was probably hurt by my own expectations. While Animal Collective aren't the most normal of bands, their last few releases have had enough of a pop element to help pull in new listeners. And while Panda Bear -- another founding member -- released a solo outing that was also pretty different from the band, it was sprawling, and lush with sounds that immediately took hold of your eardrums and pulled you into their world.

I suppose I was under the impression that an Avey Tare album would be very close to one of those two. While it isn't worlds apart, it is much slower, and a more surreal experience than what Panda Bear put out. It has very few pop hooks or beats that the average listener can latch onto like in more recent Animal Collective albums. So I approached it with the completely wrong mindset.

After a mildly disappointing first listen, I regrouped and came at it from a different direction. Given the slower, more methodical nature of the music, I thought it might be better listened to in the context that I listen to most of my post-rock, Sigur Ros-esque tastes. In the dead of the night, with no one awake but me, I cranked it as loud as I could stand. In that environment it mostly succeeded as I imagine it was meant to. I was somewhat lost in the music, and enjoyed it without the expectations I had (probably) unfairly plastered onto it. Still, it didn't exactly blow me away.

The whole thing kind of lingers more than drives itself forward like you expect most music to do. While that's alright in select scenarios, I don't really see myself enjoying this album very often. It's not calming to me like most post-rock/ambient type of music is, and nowhere near as catchy as the sound collage that is Animal Collective. It's like a much less interesting version of Panda Bear's Person Pitch, and given the small number of situations in which I'd be in the proper mood for it, it just isn't anything I'd immediately recommend. It's alright when in the right context, but even then, it's just alright.

Score: 3 out of 5
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