Panda Bear
Reset
Release Date: Aug 12, 2022
Genre(s): Electronic, Pop/Rock, Alternative/Indie Rock, Indie Rock, Indie Electronic, Dream Pop, Post-Rock, Neo-Psychedelia, Experimental Ambient, Space Rock
Record label: Domino
Music Critic Score
How the Music Critic Score works
Buy Reset from Amazon
Album Review: Reset by Panda Bear
Great, Based on 4 Critics
Based on rating 8/10
For over 20 years, Noah Lennox (a.k.a. Panda Bear) has been known primarily for his work with experimental indie act Animal Collective, anchoring the group with his sunshine pop melodies, watery synths, and minimalist percussion. But for roughly a decade, his most influential music has come in collaboration with Pete Kember (a.k.a. Sonic Boom) -- the former member of Spacemen 3, offshoots Spectrum and E.A.R., and producer behind some of Beach House, MGMT, and Iceage's best albums. The pair first connected when Kember, wanting to show his gratitude after discovering that Spacemen 3 were name-checked as an influence in the liner notes to Panda Bear's solo 2007 breakout Person Pitch, reached out to the artist over Myspace.
Based on rating 3.5/5
Livin', but you just want more While Noah Lennox (Animal Collective's Panda Bear) and Peter Kember (Spacemen 3's Sonic Boom) have collaborated on their respective solo projects, Reset marks the first time that they've embarked upon a full-length album as co-creators. The record explores 1960s psychedelic pop, and while the results may not be anything new, it still makes for an enjoyable listen that emits the warmth of summer afternoons while serving up a handful of undeniable earworms in the process. If you like electronic/psychedelic music and/or have an appreciation for the Beach Boys, then you've stumbled into the right place. The album succeeds the most when it aims for breeziness and brevity.
Opinion: Very Good
Panda Bear and Sonic Boom go way back. A mention in 'Person Pitch''s liner notes (2007) and an appreciative MySpace message led to Sonic Boom producing 'Tomboy' (2011) and 'Panda Bear Meets the Grim Reaper' (2015). 'Reset' finds the pair working even closer than before as they spin around cheerful loops and draw upon a shared love of rock 'n' roll and the Beach Boys.
Opinion: Excellent
As lockdown bit, Animal Collective's Noah Lennox consolidated long-standing working bonds with Peter Kember, aka Sonic Boom. Coalescing around Kember's vintage 7" records, Reset takes shape as a tribute to the consolatory powers of music and companionship, brimming with convivial charm and inner-voyage invention. Gettin' To The Point indeed gets to the point with a nod to Eddie Cochran, before surfing the waves of Lennox's soaring vocals.
'Reset'
is available now