I don’t always agree with you, but man, you are 100% dead on with your critique of Animal Collective.  Amen brother!  Preach the good word!

I could love the band as much as their loyal fan base does if I heard some genuine synthesis. But, show after show, all I’ve seen and heard are gestures. The noises are spiky enough to be better than nothing, but they don’t bowl me over with detail or texture, nor do they have the heft to produce a serious physical sensation.