Tomboy

Panda Bear returns! Though most know him as the lead percussionist/vocalist from Animal Collective, his solo material is also phenomenal. This release shows several drastic changes to the sound he developed with his 2007 masterpiece Person Pitch, and although his songwriting has matured, it is a bit of a shame to see such an immediate departure from the sample-based construction that made his earlier work so avant-garde. Nevertheless, this album is packed with solid numbers. And since Panda Bear’s vocals were ordinarily hidden beneath confusing layers of kaleidoscopic psych-electronica, it is refreshing to see them take the forefront, and he really shines in that regard. Ultimately, although it does not fully live up to his last release, it’s interesting to see what Panda Bear does as he takes his turn sculpting the darker, moodier atmosphere that seems to be defining the early 2010’s. FCC CLEAN

1. A slow-building leviathan of distorted acoustic guitar, chopped up handclaps and Panda Bear’s vocals at the forefront. Beautiful.
2. Fuzzed-up electronics, scattered percussion and vocals to lose yourself in. The title track of the album—definitely a song that will be remembered ten years from now.
3. 808 drumbeats, bird songs, vocals seemingly stuck on repeat and washed out guitar.
4. Panda Bear singling over a dense layer of shimmering scintillating piano and frantic xylophone riffs. A subtle drumbeat gives it the extra bit of pep it needs. Melodic vocals weaving a tale of surfing.
5. Dark and sludgy with a deep ringing bassbeat. Lyrics about a night on the town—that didn’t go as expected.
6. Exactly what the title promises: minimalist vocals over a wash of drone. A curious choice. This one goes out to all those deep, introspective people.
7. A jaunty beat with some interesting samples and pitch-distorted guitars. A great track that would definitely be a stand-out on any other album.
8. Panda Bear’s most minimalist track to date. A slow echoey ballad with a keyboard. Alone and naked.
9. Tropical sounds—birds chirping, wooden drums and spiraling keyboards. Almost danceable.
10. Excellent spiraling psychedelic riffs with truly epic layers of sampling. Confident, melodic vocals. A definite throwback to his Person Pitch days.
11. Slow vocals over a sunny bliss-out track of ambient electronica. A perfect ending track.