Range Life (Music. The Midwest. More.)

Panda Bear - Person Pitch

(Paw Tracks, 2007)

Grade: 88%


"Bros"




In a world where solo albums rarely live up to this listener's expectations, Panda Bear's Person Pitch is a welcome breeze. In fact, "breezy" is a good term to describe the album. Although PB cautions he does not want us "to take pills anymore," I can't help but feel like I've had a few whenever I delve into one of the album's 12-minute tracks.

I'm an avid fan of Animal Collective, which makes my love of PB seem all the more unlikely (Avey Tare is, after all, the man). Person Pitch is such an incredible album that it made me reevaluate the brains behind the band, or at least which member was contributing to which sounds. If nothing else, it's a testament to the band that both core members have such unique, expressive perspectives.

So what does Person Pitch sound like? You'll find the standard PB chants here, but also more unexpected elements, like samples looped into almost numbing repetition that builds, builds, and builds some more (See: "Bros" or "Good Girl/Carrots"). Even if you've heard Young Prayer and didn't care for it, take heart. Person Pitch is much more comparable to the sonic escapism of Sung Tongs -- and that, my friends, could never be considered a bad thing.