Noah Benjamin Lennox, better known by his stage name Panda Bear, released his fifth solo album titled Panda Bear Meets the Grim Reaper last month. This is his only solo album release since Tomboy in 2011. He also put out a number of albums with his band Animal Collective including their most recent Centipede Hz in 2012. 

It is evident that Lennox spent much time on the 13 songs that are on this album by how intricate and calculated flow of each track is from start to finish. His poetic lyrics echo amidst the experimental, oscillating synthesizer sounds however, it may take a few listens to fully understand what he is saying. The music ranges from tranquil to psychedelic to ominous; each song embodying a feel of its own. Several of the track stood out to me including “Lonely Wanderer” which featured beautiful piano playing and airy vocals as well as the strange and unique synth sounds that characterize much of Lennox’s music. In the seven minute long “Come To Your Senses” Lennox repeats the question “Are you mad?” though out much of the song which gives insight into Lennox’s inspiration into the song but is still ambiguous enough to be left to the listeners interpretation. To me, this makes for a good psychedelic song when you can drift into your own imagination though out it . Other stand out tracks to me were “Crosswords”, “Mr Noah”, and “Acid Wash” which serves as the definite ending of the album. 

Panda Bear’s music seems to take the listener to a distant world by showing us the view from Earth. Lennox has a knack for creating fun and spacey vibes to wallow in. I enjoyed the album and recommend it to anyone looking for a quick step back from everyday life into a a special place that Lennox has created with his voice and synthesizer sounds. 

-The Stan Man