In the Flowers

In the Flowers opens Merriweather Post Pavilion. Michael Nelson of Stereogum, who ranked it third on his list of the ten best Animal Collective songs, described an ethereal introduction of about two and a half minutes that drops into drums and cymbals, and a move from a tribal frenzy to a four-on-the-floor electronic bass beat. He heard the band signalling that, with Deakin absent, they would try something else. Andy Battaglia of the AV Club called it a dramatic opener.

Its acoustic guitar is the original demo Portner recorded on a Roland VS-1680 in New York. Allen imported it from the machine, and said he tried to talk the band out of keeping demo sounds, but they were particular about the sounds they already had. It was the first song of the 20 January 2009 show at the Manhattan Center.