Imposter syndrome, self-hatred and eternal yearning are grist for the mill in the pop-world panopticon. But with Noah Lennox — aka Panda Bear — separation never sounded so sweet.
For more than two decades, Lennox has plundered polyphonic psych-pop out of the deep end, and with it made glorious summer. First with his band Animal Collective, later as a solo project.
Sinister Grift is a seismic sea change.
All ten songs ripple and shimmer with eased, uncluttered melodies, beautiful and simplified in a way they’ve never been before.
It’s a sweet surprise, given that the formula essentially remains unchanged.
The ‘everything’ palate of Lennox’s burbled production continues to reign. The first five songs are just like honey – saccharine and stingless – while the B-side tracks stretch languidly.
And all this before the album’s triumphant climax: the loping, crunched-out stomp of ‘Defence’.
Sinister Grift is a sombre and psychedelic ride: animalistic, yet pleasingly human.
Photo credit: Frank Hoensch/Redferns via Getty Images
