Animal Collective have started working on the follow-up to 2009's critically acclaimed Merriweather Post Pavilion. In an interview with Madison, the band's Avey Tare revealed that the band plan to start full recording sessions in January, but that they've "just finished another two weeks of writing sessions and put together five new songs".

"We're really excited about this record," he said. "And it's been really fun jamming with those guys again".

Given Animal Collective's reputation for reinventing themselves, always working an album or two ahead, and often performing entire sets of new songs live, expect the new record to be something entirely new again. Merriweather Post Pavilion itself has proved a hugely influential record since its release - though the sound loosely grouped as chillwave might have identified Ariel Pink as something of a godfather, it's essentially a post-Merriweather genre, and that album's hazy, nostalgic pop is still a great deal better than the majority of the washed out fare that's come since.

In the time period since its release, band member Noah Lennox released his third album as Panda Bear, Tomboy, and the band curated a mightily impressive edition of All Tomorrow's Parties in May this year.