Review: Avey Tare – Down There
Avey Tare - Down There (2010) [Paw Tracks] // Grade: B+
Avey Tare isn’t quite sure how far from Animal Collective’s highly recognizable sound he should push on his debut album, Down There. Stripped of the AnCo sheen, Down There is a raw exploration of a familiar style. Through rough-hued production and impassioned vocal expositions, Tare pours out his distressed, broken soul, and in return, we offer empathy for his pain.
Much as Bradford Cox’s solo material is marked by pared down intimacy, Tare shrugs off production values, and presents the foundation of AnCo’s sound. Somber pulse-and-swirl atmospherics and a structure built on warbled repetition are Down There‘s backbone. “Heads Hammock” and “Lucky 1″ are both comfortably close to full AnCo compositions. They stand out as two of Down There‘s stronger selections, but that status is largely credited to their familiarity. Comparatively, “3 Umbrellas” is a much more interesting exploration. A basic keyboard rhythm pairs with Tare’s clear line of vocal melody and an assemblage of faded sound samplings. While still sounding familiar as AnCo, its simplicity offers closeness.
The moments in which Tare really pushes away from AnCo territory are Down There‘s most creative. Raw, aching words backed by uncomplicated keyboard is a formula that’s worked well as a trademark for Casiotone For The Painfully Alone, and employed on “Laughing Hieroglyphic”, Tare’s inner demons are brought to the surface, commanding notice. “Cemeteries” and “Glass Bottom Boat” introduce self-reflective soundscapes to the mix. They meander quietly, expanding where you’d expect repetition, familiar through their use of organic sounds, but new in structure and beautiful in affect.
Some artists take on solo efforts as a space to structurally work outside the bounds of their main projects. Others need the creative space to emotionally roam. Down There gives Avey Tare an obviously needed space to look into himself and pull out that which has haunted him. While the album hugs its pared down AnCo sound tightly (for the most part) its takeaway is a “very personally yours, Avey Tare” sign-off.
