Review of Person Pitch Album by Panda Bear
Panda Bear
Person Pitch
Album Review
Such is the underground hype and buzz on this band, that it is difficult to not at least try to be hip enough to like this disc. As a member of the critically-acclaimed Animal Collective, Noah Lennox (alias Panda Bear) makes music that claims to mix 'experimental structures' with a 60s pop sensibility.
Here, the looped and layered post-pop is laid on with a trowel, while Lennox references Scott Walker, Ennio Morricone, The Beach Boys, Vashti Bunyan, ELO, and The Chills in the liner notes. So, what exactly is Person Pitch about? Well, more than a little Beach-Boys-played-in-another-room-in-a-church reverb and shimmery pop.
Is it any good? Well, the best track is probably Bros, but that is a rather aimless 12 minutes of not much at all. Call it beautiful if you will, but a lot of the Beach Boys' best work was delivered in around two minutes, and there's little here that genuinely bears comparison, apart from the Brian Wilson-like vocals and harmonies. The overall impression is of a few ideas being padded out endlessly in the studio. Don't take it personally if you're in the group that doesn't 'get' this disc - there is genuinely little to be 'got'.
3/5
Mike Rea
