Panda Bear

Person Pitch (Paw Tracks)

By Matt Siblo
Published: May 11th, 2007 | 4:26pm

In this crazy mixed-up dialectical world in which we live, everybody wants what they can’t have. After establishing ourselves as one thing, human nature’s inevitable response seems to make us drawn toward the opposite. This phenomenon has led to numerous fruitless attempts by frivolous pop artists to be taken seriously (see: Garth Brooks’s alter-ego Chris Gaines for possibly the most egregious example), but far more rewarding are those instances when the opposite occurs. The avant learns to stop worrying and embrace the chorus. One recent success story of former noisemakers who embraced their inner pop fetish with incendiary results has been Deerhoof as well as the reliably shape-shifting Sonic Youth, who every now and then ditch its Jim O’Rourke—inspired noodling to crank up the juice.

Yet none have bridged the gap with more success than Panda Bear’s full-time project Animal Collective. 2005’s Feels saw the band incorporating its groove-heavy soundscapes and marsupial inspired screaming with something decidedly more melodic. On Person Pitch, Panda Bear’s second solo album, this same spirit of harmony pervades over a delightfully murky mess of distortion and ambiance. Culled from previously released singles, Person Pitch continuously shifts gears but always delivers on its intentions. It begins with “Comfy in Nautica,” an expansive chant that eventually descends into a serious of rapturous clapping and noises that sound like they belong to a space ship. Of the seven songs, “Ponytail” is possibly the tenderest track ever associated with either of Panda Bear’s projects. Over a playful bouncing backbeat, the hushed chorus of “when my soul starts growing” plays like a bruised lullaby; the perfect conclusion to an album that’s as enchanting as it is challenging.