Person Pitch (Paw Tracks)
I Don't know about you but I feel exhausted by the endless monotonous music that seems to be pouring out of the music world for the past half-year or so. It's not that I haven't heard some rad records during this time, but with a few exceptions nothing has really delivered as promised, and the invariable bands with assorted aliases are running me over. Enter Panda Bear, the solo project by Noah Lennox of Animal Collective. With vocals reminiscent of 60's pop groups and a seemingly endless arsenal of instruments at hand, he has given us -or just me- a revelation. But it's not just that it's a new sound -it's also an inspirational and rewarding record in its entirety.
Lennox doesn't settle with a moniker to Animal Collective on Person Pitch. The album kicks off effortlessly with the gorgeous track, "Comfy in Nautica," which comes off as a call to arms of sorts, with it's march-like beat set in reverb, accompanied by earnest vocals echoing courage. It's unclear whether any other humans occupied the studio space with Lennox during the making of this album. There is such a diverse collection of sound that it's plausible he transfused it all manually. Each track alone is quite diverse in itself, like the amazing "Bros" and upbeat "Good Girl/Carrots," which is framed mostly by African-influenced sound until he lets his vocals loose in the 2nd half. Many songs are lengthy, navigating for a while and then at times falling sparse, giving small hints of innocuousness. But Lennox doesn't dwell in the same territory for too long, experimenting with the music and letting his heavenly vocals take center stage.
hear: Comfy in Nautica, Bros, Good Girl/Carrots
www.myspace.com/rippityrippity
www.paw-tracks.com
QUICK LICK: Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Baby 81 (RCA)
Looks like someone put Psychocandy back into the CD player. After successfully trying their hand at the americana genre, San Francisco's BRMC return with their signature, raw, distorted rock that put them on the map in the first place. Baby 81 is 13 tracks of the best pure rock and roll to come out in a while.
hear: Berlin, Weapon of Choice, All You Do is Talk, American X, Am I only
www.blackrebelmotorcycleclub.com
