Panda Bear
Tomboy
Baltimore, MD
“Album of the year from the singer of Animal Collective”
Tomboy is the vivid sound of Panda Bear, aka Animal Collective frontman Noah Lenox, who after bearing his soul on his last solo record, is reemerging with a brighter outlook and frankly, a terrific album.
The opening track, “You Can’t Count On Me,” beings with the singer repeating the song’s title in Talking Heads-esque form. This avant-garde track sets the tone for what’s to come. Other numbers such as “Slow Motion,” and “Last Night At The Jetty” confirm Panda Bear as one of the great modern experimental artists. He takes chances that have traces of legendary bands like the Beach Boys and Lou Reed, depending on the moment you are listening.
Tomboy is a tremendous step forward for the leader of this wolfpack. As has been the norm with the Panda Bear project, Lennox has taken difficult, experimental music and brought it to a large-scale audience. Along with the standard heavy reverb are other world-woozy synths and droning-dream-pop songs. With that, it’s safe to say the singer still has the credibility and chops to pull off one of the most interesting and best albums of the year. (Paw Tracks)