CD reviews
Multi-instrumentalist and producer Noah Lennox aka Panda Bear has always displayed a diverse and playful style throughout his wondrous solo career and at the helm of the critically adored contemporary experimental band Animal Collective.
Panda Bear Meets the
Grim Reaper
Domino
Multi-instrumentalist and producer Noah Lennox aka Panda Bear has always displayed a diverse and playful style throughout his wondrous solo career and at the helm of the critically adored contemporary experimental band Animal Collective.
His sonic explorations have been the musical equivalent of a candy store pic’n’mix, sweet and fruity treats scattered among plenty of take-’em-or-leave-’em tunes. Panda Bear Meets the Grim Reaper is cut from the same cloth, but sadly this time around Lennox has forgotten to throw in the tunes.
Opener Sequential Circuits is just one of the many dull multi-layered psychedelic landscapes that lack direction. The introspective lyrics are almost unintelligible throughout the album – even on the drumdriven Mr Noah, the album’s brightest spark – and they do nothing to take the attention away from the droning, repetitive beats and over-looped samples. There are some nice breezy melodies (Principe Real, Tropic of Cancer), but the lack of emotion in the harmonies and the low vocal mix makes Lennox sound lazy and disinterested.
Restriction
Dangervisit
Far better known across Europe than in their native Britain, London electronic beat collective Archive continue to move further from their dark trip-hop origins on their 10th album, .
