Panda Bear: Person Pitch

panda bearPanda Bear of Animal Collective returns with another solo album made with machines in Lisbon, Portugal. These songs carry the Beach Boys infatuated singing and sound layering to the next level, foregoing the dilly-dallying guitar for samples and sequences. In fact, early in the album it sounds like some lost Brian Wilson tracks layered with white noise and loop stations. The harmonies are also reminiscent of Ladysmith Black Mambazo at times, Panda Bear harmonizing with himself. This album, despite its catchiness, feels less indie-rock than certain other Animal Collective releases, which is a good thing. His thank you list seems to include all of his recent influences, which seems like a weird tactic, perhaps trying to put the album in a context amongst past greats. Though it's solid I'm not sure that this album, as Paw Tracks claims, is on the same tier as Paul McCartney, George Michael and Ghostface or that history will remember it ten years down the line. Still, for Animal Collective fans this is a must-have and will not disappoint. :: Panda Bear: Person Pitch - Paw Tracks/Cargo