The latest EP under his solo project Panda Bear finds the prolific Animal Collective co-founder putting a fresh spin on some of his old material.
Panda Bear/ Crosswords EP
Noah Benjamin Lennox, the man behind the moniker Panda Bear, is known for crafting bewildering experimental soundscapes based on a melange of influences from electronic to neo-psychedelia.
Before his Panda Bear incarnation, Lennox made a name for himself as a co-founder of Animal Collective, an indie-experimental five-piece which has spawned a total of nine studio albums over a period of 12 years, with 2009’s Merriweather Post Pavilion being the group’s most notable work.
Lennox is still prolific as Panda Bear, having put out five solo LPs since 1999. His latest output, Panda Bear Meets the Grim Reaper, still has us reeling with its otherworldly trippiness despite it being released back in January. Now, less than a year later, he’s surprised us with Crosswords, a five-track EP made up of reworked songs and demos that further serves as a testament to his constant evolution as a solo artist.
The EP opens with an “EP remix” version of Crosswords, one of the stand-outs alongside Mr Noah and Boys Latin off Panda Bear Meets the Grim Reaper. The disparity here is subtle — the only discernible change seems to be the drum sample which has been brought to the fore, giving the song a slice of vitality. “Stay there while I move/Stay scared while I improve/But it don’t mean I’ll do it like you want me to/But it do mean I’ll do it like you need me to,” he intones. Another rework is a track called The Preakness. Originally appearing on the box set edition of his fourth record, Tomboy, the song is given new life with ominous industrial instrumentation fittingly coupled with a haunting vocal sample.
No Mans Land is a surging banger built upon a cacophony of unrelentingly pounding beats, glitchy noises and myriad frantic synths. Imagine UK’s big beat legends The Prodigy, but on speed. Equally relentless is Jabberwocky, a curious concoction of styles and influences. Extremely bouncy and exhilarating at the same time, the song keeps us on our toes with its sonic unpredictability. The EP then concludes with Cosplay, a stoner paean in which he repeatedly offers a hazy mantra “marijuana makes my day” over warped psychedelic elements.
To fans of Panda Bear, Crosswords may not be an earth-shattering work given the fact that it largely contains reworked material. What this EP does successfully, however, is showcase the 37-year-old artist’s creative resourcefulness. He’s approached his old tracks with new ideas and managed to keep them engaging throughout. The EP may seem like a placeholder to tide us over until his next record, but there’s no denying that it’s a really good one. Plus, to the uninitiated, this could also serve as an introduction to the fascinating world of Panda Bear and his weird and wonderful sounds.
THE PLAYLIST
Psycho Katts/ Washing Machine
Rats Records’ latest signing Psycho Katts is comprised of Helen Stettler (vocals), Twist Apichattachapong (bass), Irin Apichattharapat (drums) and Wang Weian (guitar). Their debut single Washing Machine is a dark, bluesy slow burner that intriguingly likens a life of a ne’er-do-well to being in a washing machine. “You are in washing machine, spinning a round and round/Waiting for someone to hang you, until you’ll drown again,” Stettler sings in the sort of laboured vocals that could perhaps be described as pissed off Lana Del Rey.
Violette Wautier & Stamp Apiwat/ Vacation Time (Thai Version)
Nawapol “Ter” Thamrongrattanarit’s latest directorial effort, Freelance the Movie, gets a fitting soundtrack courtesy of past The Voice Thailand contestant Violette Wautier and pop singer Stamp Apiwat. Here, they puts their cutesy-acoustic spin on Part Time Musicians’ indie-folk cut Vacation Time, giving it Thai lyrics that pretty much stay faithful to the original. By the way, is it just us or is Wautier’s voice uncannily similar to that of Part Time Musicians’ female vocalist Wanrada Vichaithanaruks?
Beirut/ Gibraltar
After giving us No No No, a cheery lead single taken from their forthcoming album of the same name, American indie-folk outfit Beirut rolls out another jubilant jam called Gibraltar. Underpinned by percussive elements and sprightly piano, the song finds frontman Zach Condon offering up a slice of renewed optimism, crooning: “Everything should be fine, you’ll find things tend to stand in line/It’s but a link in time, but I’m sure you’ll let me try.” As with their previous single, this is a good indication of where the band is at and where they’re going with the new record.
PREP/ Cheapest Flight
While there’s not much info available on London-based PREP (all we know right now is that they’re an eclectic ensemble of a classical composer, a hip-hop producer, a house DJ and a singer-songwriter), the foursome is letting the music speak for itself with their debut single Cheapest Flight. Built upon blissed-out grooves and horn-punctuated melodies, the song features a delectable blend of influences from smooth jazz and funk to R&B soul and laidback electronic. It’s an ode to cost-saving escapism that should inspire a lazy afternoon of browsing Skyscanner and daydreaming about exotic destinations from the comfort of your bed.
Rob Thomas/ Trust You
Trust You is the first single lifted from Rob Thomas’s long-overdue third solo record, The Great Unknown. The Matchbox Twenty frontman joins forces with OneRepublic’s Ryan Tedder, who shares songwriting credit with him. “I like to think that I am reasonable/But I can’t tell you why I’m down on the floor/I check my hair, but I don’t know what it’s for,” Thomas sings in response to what has apparently been a night of unmitigated debauchery. It’s one of those fun, catchy pop-rock numbers that have defined much of Thomas’ solo material, but that’s about it.
