To further my thought, we have seen artists reinvent themselves numerous times in the history of modern music. Taking a look @ a jazz legend gives us some insight on why. Miles Davis had a long career with multiple albums, not all of them with high critical acclaim, and each of them had their own feel that cohesively flowed as an individual album concept. Just looking @ three of his most popular albums, Kind of Blue, Sketches of Spain and On the Corner, you can see how the overall feel and mood of each is inherently diverse. Herbie Hancock had a wide range of diversity in his work as well. Davis was known for paving the way, publicly at least, for other jazz artists and for his troubling heroin habit. I can see how and why the shifting tide of musical genres changes throughout the decades and I understand how the influence of drugs can alter your perception of inner thought and then effect your creative output. I can also see how an artist that sticks around and stands the test of time would want to reinvent themselves.
Back to Animal Collective. Finally you say. I don't know much about the personal lives of the members of the Collective but I do hear some hints to their musical influences in their body of work. Personally I hear the Beach Boys, Slint and the occasional solid hoedown beat coming through when I give Sung Tongs and Feels a listen. In some of their more "noise" based albums like Hollindagain and Here Comes the Indian and even in the melodic percussives of Strawberry Jam it sounds as if every utencil, appliance and common household item comes alive for a few minutes to attempt a conversation that sometimes ends in an argument where there is no winner. That is if your house is filled with disembodied hands clapping at will and vocal chords that take drifting canoe rides at sea not caring if there is a storm a blowin'. All in all I feel like their music has a purpose and a story to tell me. I find it very listenable (mood dependent of course) and have liked 90% of their work.
Okay, in the time it took me to write this tangent I have listened to Merriweather a second time and it is very approachable. I'm sure I will start to enjoy it as much if not more than the other albums. I don't know what my problem was this morning. I hadn't had any coffee yet and I was in a linear equation mode of thinking. Animal Collective is not really congruent with math class. Maybe I'll listen to it before BIO next time.

Anyway, check it out. I like it. Animal Collective, Merriweather Post Pavilion
Click their name above or click the album cover for a kooky page.---------->