Centipede Hz - Animal Collective
User Score
7.7 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 86 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 72 out of 86
  2. Mixed: 7 out of 86
  3. Negative: 7 out of 86

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  1. JoeVotaw
    Sep 7, 2012
    9
    This a really cool record, definitely one of their best. Noisy like Here Comes the Indian, but poppy like Strawberry Jam. If Avey Tare's Down There had a baby with Strawberry Jam, it would be this album.
  2. scottibear556
    Sep 5, 2012
    9
    excellent album that is receiving negative reviews by folks without patience. this album certainly rewards those who are willing to really listen. these songs are incredibly dense and that seems to turns some people off for some reason. i personally love that i can listen to these songs a bunch of times and keep hearing new things. this album has a sonic aesthetic all its own and while you can certainly hear influences from more traditional genres and eras of music it is all filtered through Animal Collective's unique vision of sound. this album is tough and abrasive but in all the right ways and there are some true moments of beauty throughout.… Expand
  3. dragonboatdrumm
    Sep 4, 2012
    10
    There's no other band doing this, simply. Yet another near masterpiece from these guys, let it settle in, takes a while, but a beautiful piece . They are a rarity these days.
  4. grohk
    Sep 6, 2012
    9
    Lot's of people hating on this album, but I was not disappointed. After MMP, I was glad to see AC take things in a much more experimental direction. Not as accessible, but I keep finding new things to appreciate after every listen.
  5. comeatme90
    Sep 4, 2012
    10
    Animal Collective could sure learn a thing or two from David Guetta, Pitbull and Skrillex.
    This sentence made my day.
    To the Album: Really strong tracks in here, just the album as whole is not as cohesive as the previous efforts. Applesauce is maybe the most craziest track they ever recorded.
  6. jmano
    Sep 4, 2012
    10
    Wow, simply wow. Animal Collective continues to release the best music available on the market today. They've separated themselves from the pack and are definitively the best indie band out there today. I'm honestly surprised at the Pitchfork review I read for this album, because it seems to scorn everything that makes AnCo great. Don't believe me? Read the review. Anyway, Moonjock has to be the best opening track they've had. When I heard, "This is the new centipede" and the opening crashing cymbals I was preparing for my mind to be blown, and I was not disappointed.… Expand
  7. dandollar
    Sep 5, 2012
    9
    First review after years of lurking. I love this album, and while I agree that it's not as immediately accessible as MPP, it is still a near masterpiece in my eyes. Give this thing more than one listen, chances are that you will come to appreciate it more.
  8. TyJayRaz
    Sep 7, 2012
    9
    I'm disappointed by many of the user reviews and even some critical reviews of this album (Pitchfork's and AV Club's in particular). Granted, this is a dense and difficult album to get through, and by no means Animal Collective's best. That said, as a long-time fan, I think they did a brilliant job of combining the structured approach of their later albums with the harsh experimentalism of their earlier work. I won't deny that it took me three or four listen-throughs to fully grasp what the group was going for, and it is quite a modern departure from their traditionally organic sound. The final suite of three tracks (Mercury Man, Pulleys, and the amazing Amanita) is some of their best work to date. Do yourself a favor and ignore the reviews; give this album the effort it deserves!… Expand
  9. RippedCurtain
    Sep 7, 2012
    9
    One of my favourite albums of the year. Animal Collective's last album, Merriweather Post Pavillion, created a lot of pressure for the band's follow up release and In my opinion they have delivered. Songs such as Today's Supernatural, Moonjock, Monkey Riches and Mercury Man stand out for me. It's a much more complicated album with many more effects used in songs than MPP, which can take away from a few songs that feel too dense or over-complicated. A great Album.… Expand
  10. Ihearthat
    Sep 8, 2012
    9
    I'm glad these guys are still making music. Who sounds like AC? Centipede Hz is just as good if not better than MPP and Feels which were fantastic! Words of warning: the sound of your favorite song will be locked in your brain all day- though this might be construed as great to some people.
  11. amino1
    Sep 17, 2012
    10
    If you look at their back catalogue you'll know that their primary function is not to make pleasant sounding music, so that criticism doesn't carry much weight. That's what most reviewers are likely to invoke, however, which serves as the unfortunate litmus betraying unfamiliarity with the group. The magic the collective holds lies not in producing music with mass appeal, but in their ability to embrace challenging sounds and combinations of sounds, an alchemy in which the individual listener also participates, and one in which animal collective and merry crew co-chart a course of mutual discovery--the final goal of which is nothing less than continually unfolding transformation.

    In that respect MMP was something of a happy accident, garnering countless unanticipated accolades. This time around, however, Animal Collective have sacrificed some of the surface appeal of that record in favor of a richly-detailed, jostling boisterousness--I get the impression that they are a touring carnival act-- that lends itself most readily to the task of repeated listens.

    Whether or not this record carries with it any ulterior meaning remains to be seen. One or two of the reviews I have read through this site have sussed something subsurface, but the mystery of its depths is far from plumbed.    … Expand
  12. Odourman
    Sep 18, 2012
    9
    I love this album. It's playful, mad and fun. It makes me feel good, a certain kind of feeling in my belly. The only song that I don't like so much on the album is new town burnout, because it sounds a lot like the stuff panda bear does solo. Honeycomb should have replaced it.
    I enjoy centipede hz more than MPP. It seems to me like it's the people that prefer MPP over everything else the     group has done are the ones that are disappointed.… Expand
  13. WeAreOne
    Sep 26, 2012
    9
    I just love this album, and it truly deserves much more praise than it has been given. Worse reviewed than Strawberry Jam? This album crushes Strawberry Jam. This would be up with my 3 personal favorite AC albums (MPP, Feels, and this). It takes the best aspects of their wilder material and adds the crisp production of MPP, resulting in a completely unique sonic experience. This year was treading water for me until this album and Shields came out - this is possibly my favorite of the year.… Expand
  14. groovygroover
    Oct 10, 2012
    10
    This is hands down the best record of the year and definitely the best AC record ever made. Don't get me wrong, I love all of their music. I am just as much in love with Spirit and Danse as I am with Strawberry Jam and MPP. But this record is on another level. It takes the best elements from their music and combines them into one giant masterpiece. I have a genuine love for the songs on this record and I could go the rest of my life without listening to anything else. Long live Animal Collective.… Expand

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
75 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 46 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 34 out of 46
  2. Mixed: 12 out of 46
  3. Negative: 0 out of 46
  1. Sputnikmusic
    Dec 19, 2012
    70
    Listening to Centipede is like going through a garage filled with clutter.
    Read full review
  2. Delusions of Adequacy
    Nov 15, 2012
    90
    Each song is impactful and memorable, with a fantastic approach to songcraft that focuses on minimal gestures, mixed with tremendous layers and layers of sounds.
    Read full review
  3. The Wire
    Oct 3, 2012
    70
    Despite their pop savvy, it's a surprisingly difficult listen. [Sep 2012, p.57]
See all critic reviews »