PANDA BEAR
PANDA BEAR
ALBUM SOCCER STAR RELEASE: JUNE 1, 1999 REVIEW: JUNE 29, 1999
You really can't be anything but charmed by the electro-acoustic sound of
Panda Bear (a.k.a. Noah Lennox). Recorded on an eight track cassette with
lo-fi electronics and a bunch of other instruments, this debut album seems
as innocent as the Virgin Mary. The music is soft, fragile and remarkably
sentimental. Without getting pathetic.
The musical spectrum is wide. Sometimes "Panda Bear" sounds like an ambient
Aphex Twin around the campfire. At other moments you think you're listening
to a demo tape by Beck. Whether dealing with acoustic instruments or
electronics Lennox sticks to a minimalistic concept. This concept reaches
its peek in songs like the painfully beautiful "A Musician and a
Filmmaker" and "On the Farm".
But Panda Bear is best seen as a rugged diamond waiting to be cut. Although sometimes charming, the absence of any form of productional effort becomes a disadvantage in the long run. Even annoying. But I hope and
believe that the future is bright for Noah Lennox. Humbleness mixed with
talent is a rare commodity these days and should always be rewarded.
ERIK ALMGREN