7. Panda Bear, Tomboy (2011)

Panda Bear's latest is full of icy, delicate tracks with lovely melodies that seem to drift in slow motion, as if each note sung was like a snowflake falling to the ground. Tomboy's languid pace can get a bit tiresome at some points, but highlights like "Last Night at the Jetty," "You Can Count On Me," and "Surfer's Hymn" are hypnotic, tranquil, and soulful.

Listen: "Last Night at the Jetty"

MP3

 

6. Animal Collective, Feels (2005)

With its emphasis on electric guitars and primal beats, Feels is the closest Animal Collective has come to releasing a rock album. It's also the group's best attempt to merge its feral freak-outs with elements of pop songwriting. Stand-out tracks "Grass" and "The Purple Bottle" deliver genuine hooks in the form of wordless screams and high-pitched, rhythmic yelps.

Listen: "Grass"

MP3

 

5. Animal Collective, Sung Tongs (2004)

Sung Tongs is one of the all-time best fusions of folk music and electronica. The album comes across like an impromptu jamboree featuring acoustic guitars, primitive rhythms, childlike vocals, and strange electronic tones. The group achieves a bizarre, eccentric beauty on the opening track "Leaf House," and the single "Who Could Win A Rabbit" is an inspiring, extremely catchy tune that never doubles back on any of its immensely pleasing hooks.

Listen: "Who Could Win A Rabbit"

MP3

 

4. Animal Collective, Spirit They're Gone, Spirit They've Vanished (2000)

Avey Tare and Panda Bear's first collaboration proves that writing tuneful, emotionally engaging songs wasn't just something that they picked up after years of arty experimentation. Spirit They're Gone, Spirit They've Vanished is a bold, extremely ambitious debut full of epic art rock. The album's centerpieces are still among their finest songs: "Chocolate Girl" has a fluttering, whimsical beauty, while the eight-minute piano ballad "Penny Dreadfuls" alternates between moments of quiet grandeur and unhinged emoting.

Listen: "Penny Dreadfuls"

MP3

 

3. Panda Bear - Person Pitch (2007)

Person Pitch is Panda Bear's breakthrough as a songwriter, and possibly the most influential work in the Animal Collective canon. Panda's blend of hazy psychedelia, electronic drones, and angelic, heavily reverbed Beach Boys-ish vocal melodies has been emulated by many indie acts in recent years, but no one comes even close to the warmth and magic of this record. Pretty much all of this album is golden, but the sprawling "Bros" and "Good Girl/Carrots" suites are especially brilliant.

Listen: "Bros"

MP3

 

2. Animal Collective, Strawberry Jam (2007)

Just as Person Pitch revealed the full scope of Panda Bear's talent, Strawberry Jam is where Avey Tare reaches full maturity as an artist. Compared to the band's earlier material, songs like "Peacebone" and "Fireworks" are almost startlingly focused and direct, merging sharp folk-pop songwriting with inventive electronic textures and confident vocal performances. Of course, like every Animal Collective release, it's a group effort. On-again, off-again member Deakin provides excellent distorted guitar parts on "For Reverend Green" and "Unsolved Mysteries," while Panda's vocal contributions on "Derek" and "Chores" are wonderfully melodic.

Listen: "Peacebone"

MP3

 

1. Animal Collective, Merriweather Post Pavilion (2009)

Merriweather Post Pavilion, the band's masterpiece, distills all of the best musical ideas from their first decade together into eleven astonishing, emotionally stirring songs. Merriweather is a big warm hug of an album, a set of songs that deal with ideas about personal responsibility and both familiar and romantic love in generous, mature ways without ever getting too hokey or hippy-dippy. "My Girls," "Summertime Clothes," "Guys Eyes," and "Also Frightened" feature some of the most indelible melodies of the band's career, while the final track "Brothersport" is a joyful, life-affirming catharsis.

Listen: "Brothersport"

MP3