Panda Bear - Tomboy (2011)
Label : Paw Tracks
Let me first begin by saying that Panda Bear's 2007 album 'Person Pitch' was for me, one of the greatest musical achievements of the decade gone by. It was a singularly visioned work that had no place for compromise, crafting a sound that was unmistakably his - a solitary sonic experience standing proudly against the best experimental works of the time and most of all, maturing and sustaining it's charm with each cherished listen.
With all this very much in the forefront of my mind as I settled to listen to 'Tomboy' for the first time, I began fearing change and evolution of his cultured sound. In a way, I wanted another 'Person Pitch'. As the leading track began it's opening few seconds, I felt a sense of relief and repose. It was all very familiar- the airy vocals echoing resolutely, clapping and stomping creating a rhythm deep in the mix and an instantly effecting mantra-like calling of 'Know, you can count on me' that almost immediately ingrained into my mind, nestling there for not only the entire track but most of the album. This opening track is trademark Panda Bear. Emotional, colossal and with a great sense of looseness and freedom as the melody works it's way languidly around the chanting of Noah Lennox. The first considerable difference however, is the significantly shorter track lengths. This makes me think that Noah is trying to make his vast songs more accessible to a more casual listener; for sure the first half of the album lends to many catchy hooks and melodies, something that could be said to have been lacking in his previous release.
The earnest attempt at creating an intimate atmosphere is something that is one of the standout facets in this ambitious sounding album. Whilst being busy with various collaborations over the past couple of years (most notably with Atlas Sound and Pantha Du Prince) and not forgetting his further success with Animal Collective, it is to his merit that he has been able to produce such a well formulated album that does a very admirable job in trying to equal the emotional output and effect that 'Person Pitch' achieved.
In the title track 'Tomboy', Lennox achieves the perfect balance of maintaining the sound that has earned him adoring fans worldwide and introducing a new element to his work. With a heavier synth leading the proceedings, this track demands your attention instead of merely nesting and cultivating in ones memory. This is a very welcomed experimentation from Lennox and one that I believe to have worked successfully within the context of the entire album. This album is truly a wonder to listen to, it progresses with great ease and culminates into a crescendo of passion from Lennox in the track 'Alsatian Darn', one of the rawest, most honest tracks he has ever put his name to. He blasts out in his usual Brian Wilson style -
"I only feel a chill whenever I come out from my shell
Id surely lie if I said that I was sure that it might work out
Now I wont let it slide
No I wont let it slip up"
Whilst all around his voice, glittering synth sounds and samples escort his words to a whole other level. It's after this peak that the album has one of its very few indiscretions. The track 'Scheherezade" deploys a soft piano intro that seems to plod along with Lennox voice, not raising it to the heights that I had become accustomed to from this album. For me it breaks up the flow of the album, slightly jarring the momentum that it had so successfully assembled. This is of course a minor criticism of an another wise masterfully composed album.
Panda Bear with 'Tomboy', continues to be one of the most unconventional and engrossing artists in the music industry right now. With so many new sounds and experimentations being forced upon us without much substance or lasting appeal, it's truly refreshing to have an artist that is willing to successfully take risks, creating stunning sounds and being an exemplary pioneer for independent music in the 21st century.
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