Last Night At The Jetty – Panda Bear Last Night At The Jetty – Panda Bear (Free Download)

Tomboy, the new record from Animal Collective member, Panda Bear (Noah Lennox), begins with what he’s probably best recognized for, his voice.  This attribute was also, not surprisingly, the landmark of his first album, Person Pitch, which was released a few years ago.  Lennox’s sunny, earthy, Brian Wilson-with-samplers approach to making songs has earned him a host of followers and crafted a niche where his material, and especially his voice, are instantly recognizable.  He seems to have continued to feed his muse with Tomboy, and it’s certainly for the best.

It makes sense that Lennox’s solo material would sound slightly more beachy than what Animal Collective is known to release. A few years prior to recording Person Pitch, he actually moved to Lisbon, Portugal to be with his now wife.  Identifying with the slow pace of living in comparison to the habitually hectic lifestyle in New York, Panda Bear’s music reflected this shift in location. Songs like ‘Bros’ and ‘Comfy in Nautica’ have super tight, memorable melodies, and were a staple on my sunny day playlists for quite some time.

Like any act that has attained a measurable amount of success, Panda Bear’s second release was met with a great deal of speculation and eager anticipation.  Though he previously stated that it would involve fewer samples and more live instrumentation, Tomboy actually continues on the path that he already started, incorporating heaps of electronics to enhance each song.  To my ears, this record is much in the vein of the last batch of Animal Collective songs that are included on Merriweather Post Pavilion, Water Curses and Fall Be Kind.  The production is clean, weird, and ultimately ultra creative.  While there are some hints of guitar here and there, wobbly keyboards and synths with cool percussive, hip hop minded beats are consistent throughout the album.

I honestly don’t think there is a single bad song on this record. While each track is distinctive, a common thread runs throughout to unite the material. Although there are some moody numbers such as “Scheherazade”, an awesome late night meditative anthem, and “Drone”, a bed of drawn out synths underneath extended vocal lines, the rest of the cuts hit you over the head each time you listen. Packing in harmony line after harmony line, songs like “Benefica” and “Friendship Bracelet” are absolutely incredible.

Lennox isn’t new to making memorable, creative, and catchy songs, and he won’t be stopping here with Tomboy.  Already at work on new Animal Collective material, the word prolific is an obvious description for Panda Bear’s level of output and quality.