Underrated Albums #1

So this is a new feature I plan to do every month in which I will discuss an album I think is underrated. This month:

Avey Tare - Down There



One half of the main creative force behind the indie juggernaut Animal Collective, Avey Tare is less regarded than his peer and bandmate, Panda Bear. Panda Bear's 2008 solo album, Person Pitch, is a warm melodic album that was included on a lot of critics "Best of" year end lists and it was even voted above Animal Collective's last album, Merriweather Post Pavilion, in Pitchfork's best of the decade list (coming in at #8). Although the exact contributions of each member for any Animal Collective song are unknown, a lot of people associate Panda Bear with the lush melodies and Avey Tare with the avant garde experimentalism of the band's music. So when Avey Tare announced the release of his solo album, many wrote it off (especially those who heard his previous album, Pullhair Ribeye - a collaboration with Kria Brekken of tape loops and songs he recorded backwards).

"Cemeteries"

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Down There is actually a lot more accessible than most people thought it would be. ("Accessible" for any Animal Collective related release is largely defined by a solid song structure and only a fair amount of sonic dressing and psychedelic production.) Avey Tare crafted an album that shows he's way more adapt at creating melodies than people thought. Whereas Panda Bear's music relies on ethereal drifting, Avey Tare's is much more focused and pointed. Their sound doesn't differ that much at its core, though, and "3 Umbrellas" sounds like it could have been written by either member. Regardless, Down There is a much more hook filled album than Person Pitch is, and "Lucky 9" has to be one of the catchiest songs any member of Animal Collective has ever put out.

"Oliver Twist"

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Avey Tare wrote the album after his divorce and his sister's cancer diagnosis, and because of that - Down There explores dark emotional territory that that is often gripping, especially in "Cemeteries." The third track, "Oliver Twist," is a beat heavy track that is the closest thing anyone in Animal Collective has ever come to making club music (which is still very far from anything anyone would play in the club, but still). These sudden detours make listening to Avey Tare's solo music a lot of fun. Down There is an album of sonic exploration that showcases all of Avey Tare's talents and demonstrates his ability to hold his own in the solo music world. Maybe it's because Panda Bear will always overshadow his work, or maybe it's because this album will take some time to digest for many people before they realize it's greatness (I didn't even think to include it in my "Best of 2010" list), but Down There is an accomplishment that should stand alongside Animal Collective's best work.