Panda Bear & Sonic Boom - Reset

[Crenners]

New album out 12th August, collab between the two dudes, not just SB producing PB songs.

First single Go On out today:

Sounds like PP vs Homies.

[dontpaintyourteeth]

Well up for this actually, I thought that most recent AnCo album was their best one in years

[The Mollusk]

Great video. Really wish the song built up to a more satisfying crescendo though instead of fizzling out, I kept waiting for something to happen but it didn't.

[Famous Mortimer]

Sonic's vocal bit seems like it could be where a crescendo could take place (also, he sounded...off the beat?) but it still sounds fucking great.

[Crenners]

New single is better than the last one to my tastes. Very simple and beautiful, cheerful. Person Pitchier vibes. Danny Perez video is pure Danny. 😜😜😜

Album comes out on the 12th, listening party on YT on the 11th.

Sorry my main man Bazooka ain't around these days and the excellent Tikwid seems to have returned to the shadows.

Sending high fives and hugs to you both if you see this and accept them.

[Crenners]

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLS4jAfE9d3aL2COTYfAuyMPyHwxPeHJ1C

The album is now out, YT playlist above.

I'll temper my impressions with the context that it's brand new and so on but this is making me feel really really good. I may be inspired to do an old-school track-by-track review at some point, just to give my excitement some concrete form.

The singles are certainly representative, chunky little arrangements, catchy and beautiful layered vocal melodies but there's more across the album than PB singing over 50s loops. It feels like that was the starting point for the compositions but more than half of the songs don't contain any samples. Whether they removed these foundations once the songs were constructed, I don't know, but there's a lot of space here which I really really like.

There's also quite a bit more SB to the songwriting and vocals than I expected and the album is richer for it. The slo-mo spacey blues melodies are very Spacemen 3/Spectrum, obviously, but I never expected that his style would meld so well with PB. He takes lead on three songs I think and they're great. Whirlpool in particular is gorgeous, real sun-kissed Krauty psychedelia.

The production is also fucking delightful. Very dubby and spacious, loads of spring reverb and vocals being sucked inside out, sparkling toy piano synths. I guess they produced it together but it's got SB's fingerprints all over it and from these very early impressions, I really hope AC get him on board at some stage. My favourite thing is how restrained and economical it is, he knows just when to bring in a new little keyboard line and what to take away in sympathy. It is an AMAZING headphones record. The first time I listened to In My Body, I was laughing with happiness.

Ultimately, though, the reason we're all here is for Noah's vocal melodies and, without going overboard, I think this is his best collection of songs since Person Pitch. Big call, I've tried my best to keep a lid on it but I'm absolutely buzzing here listening to this. It feels summative, cumulative, but something new. He's also got another solo album in the pipeline with songs he debuted last year in Madrid, only one of which is on this.

And on that note, if you want to just listen to one song, here's the new single Danger. "I've got to get back to that harmony..." wheewww...❤️❤️❤️

[dontpaintyourteeth]

Like this a lot, that's two good AnCo/AnCo adjacent albums this year now, which is nice

[Crenners]

Like this a lot, that's two good AnCo/AnCo adjacent albums this year now, which is nice

Great to remember there's another excellent set of AC songs already recorded, dating back to 2019, not sure when it's coming out but hopefully it'll be early 2023 so they can get on with some new stuff. And, new Panda Bear songs also on the way. I think it'll be called Sinister Grift based on a few assorted tidbits.

[The Mollusk]

Pleased to reveal that I am loving this album. Huge summertime vibes obvs, the title implies a lot in terms of blowing off the cobwebs, having a nice reflective breather, going outside and letting the sun hit your face and that is exactly what I need right now. It's so warm and playful, the daffy drones and lovely little synth ditties, Noah commanding words in the way that he does best. Deffo among his best solo work I think!

[Famous Mortimer]

It's really good! I'm also a little bit delighted that Mr Kember, having made brilliant music 35 years ago, is still making stuff of this quality.

[The Mollusk]

Yo has anyone heard the Adrian Sherwood dub reworking of this album?

It is so good.

[spaghetamine]

Yo has anyone heard the Adrian Sherwood dub reworking of this album?

It is so good.

yes! was fortunate enough to listen to it for the first time at the house of a friend who owns a really massive sound system, a heavy fog of bass and echo  descended upon the senses and my skull was rattled in a most righteous and pleasing manner

this one is my fave

[Mecha Rodney]

Yo has anyone heard the Adrian Sherwood dub reworking of this album?

It is so good.

Yeah, I really like it. I think the original album is great, albeit pretty lite, not as euphoric or cathartic or interesting as his/AC's top tier but they're getting old, I guess. I'm grateful for the intermittent good bits these days. Anyway, this gave it a big old whack of defibrillator. I think all the extra instrumentation with the cello and horns is such a great addition. I also like that it's more abstract than the original, more left turns and slightly unpleasant bits, more psychedelic.

[The Mollusk]

I think the original album is one of my most revisited from 2022 and definitely my favourite PB since Person Pitch. It scratches the itch so succinctly for bright, crisp and playful psychedelia - minimal arrangements but not a hair out of place, it just sounds wonderful.