Panda Bear: when weird gets endearing

Noah Lennox has played a fundamental role in two of the most critically acclaimed records of the last decade: Person pitch (2007) put out by his influential solo project Panda Bear, and Merriweather post pavillion (2009) by his revered band Animal Collective. It's hard to explain why these two albums have become so relevant -this is very complex music, after all. It might not be easy to listen to it at first but once you get into it this music seems to inhabit you. The thing about Panda Bear's music is that it isn't plain weird -its catchy hooks often camouflage under abstract attires. On Panda Bear's latest record, Tomboy (2011), Lennox proves again how immensely talented he is at crafting alluring vocal harmonies over simple artsy loops. More than just songs, Lennox seems to form sonic experiences with the aid of his over-the-top, reverb-injected chants, taking its songs often to mystical levels -not surprisingly the guy has a major in Religion. I am aware of my incapacity to explain how such a strange music like this ends up by enchanting you, so why don't you listen to it and try to figure it out? You might not understand it, but I'm almost sure you'll like it.

Listen to Last night at the Jetty