Best known as chief warbler for those odd experimental folk pop weirdoes Animal Collective, Panda Bear demonstrates his deep love of Americana pop history on Person Pitch. It’s a sound that has occasionally crept into the Animal Collective repertoire, though usually in a much more fragmented and twisted form, via multiple part vocal harmonies, and in recent times gentle acoustic guitar. And like Animal Collective it’s Panda Bear’s highly melodic vocal style that provides the links to the Beach Boys and their ilk, as there’s none of those other foolish folks to jump in scream and wail to ruin everything. That said his instrumentation and compositions are eclectic as ever and his vocals, well they’re still a little strange. Where his previous solo album 2004’s Young Prayer, a reaction to his father’s passing, consisted mainly of strange drawn out repetitive acoustic guitar and wailing, on Person Pitch he’s utilized electronics and real words. His vocals are almost without fail heavily reverbed, which provides a more dreamy timeless quality and gives them added strength in the mix where they can unify above some of the strange music. Part music, part musique concrete his instrumentation is quite odd and also quite lo fi. There’s everything from extended percussive djembe workouts to quite respectful electronics. Though despite his experimentation there’s no denying his pop hooks, never letting the weirdness get in the way of his own demented pop vision – this is singer songwriting damnit. But don’t for one moment think this is normal, Panda Bear has really offered up something from way out of left field, the thing is its so good that you’ll be more than happy to follow him back out there,
Bob Baker Fish
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