The better illusion is that they make some think they do great music. :p: Several bands from the 2000s like this one, Arcade Fire and others seem to be met with either complete adoration or complete indifference in most cases.

What's wrong with Animal Collective?

What do you like about them? People seem to say they do pop music of a kind but I haven't really heard great melody on this album. I think people probably like the unusual production / sound as it might be fresh to them.

I like how varied their music can be, and how they blend together accessibility with experimentation. But that is a reference to their discography as a whole, not this album (which I found mediocre and overly-hyped).

huh? the tunes are pretty great, even on Strawberry Jam when they're buried under tons of whale dreck

MPP has quite straightforward production, and the sound ain't exactly "new", it's like an updated Pet Sounds

Eh... that's why I find it boring/mediocre.

Many younger people won't have heard Pet Sounds. I think Pet Sounds is far better anyway, Brian Wilson is a great melodist.

An album for the subjective community, not the objective community.

I've only listened to Strawberry Jam and this album out of the Collective's discography, and i love how cohesive the tracks and sound is throughout the album. However, much of it didn't contain the madness/intensity that Strawberry Jam did, and the not all the track's stood out to me or had their own identity like Strawberry Jam. My Girls is extremely catchy and pleasant, though, and there are a couple of songs that have that strangeness i loved from Strawberry Jam, particularly No More Running. I'll listen to it more, but i gave it a Very Good intentionally because it still is really great and mellow to listen to, but it doesn't get me thinking or curling into a ball like its predecessor did, which i may give an Excellent had i the lack of laziness to find the thread and do it. It's not new anymore anyway so i doubt it even matters.

And a couple of posts above remind me that i should listen to Beach Boys. Yippee!

OK, I've now played this album back-to-back against Abbey Road, Sgt Pepper, Fragile and Rumours.

It's held up well against AR and Pepper. When I played Fragile immediately after MPP, I was amazed at how well the end of Brothersport flowed into Roundabout. In fact, I think the closest "classic" pop/rock analog band to AnCo is probably Yes, a lot of the songs of the two bands are structured similarly.

But when I played Rumours after MPP, MPP didn't hold up as well - respectfully, but only moderately close. That said, not many pop/rock albums would. Rumours is tough to beat.

I think I might next try playing it back-to-back against Revolver, but I'm not sure MPP has much of a chance against that one.