PANDA BEAR レコード& CD

Review: Panda Bear aka Noah Lennox has been one of the more prolific solo artists to come out of the Animal Collective fold. Buoys presents a second album on UK independent Domino and his sixth solo album overall offers something of a new direction. Made in co-production with Rusty Santos (from The Present) the pair have delivered a work routed in hip hop and beat-making inspirations taking Panda Bear's music into a dubby and bass music realm. At times reminiscent of Ed Banger & Mr. Oizo quirkiness, alongside a trademark guitar sound and vocals drenched in reverb, the dub culture influence mixed in with the folk, and pop abnormalities, prove there's a deep layer of experimentation to Panda Bear's music yet.

Review: There's been much animated discussion online about the meaning of Animal Collective member Noah Lennox's latest solo album under the Panda Bear alias. Whether or not Lennox really is musing on death (as he did on 2004 album Young Prayer, which was recorded in the months following the passing of his father) is almost irrelevant; you see, Panda Bear Meets The Grim Reaper is a delightfully eccentric listen, full of humid, psychedelic pop songs drenched in '60s style reverb. As a result, it sounds like Pet Sounds or Smile era Beach Boys (Lennox even sounds like Brian Wilson) reinvented for the 21st century, with synths and electronics replacing harmonium and evocative orchestration. As a result, Panda Bear Meets The Grim Reaper is a sunny sonic delight.