“Buoys” is Noah Lennox's most unexpected release that puts fans at crossroads. Despite it being an enjoyably new and refreshing album, it has lukewarm and mixed results.
Noah Lennox is one of the key members behind the versatile and exciting Animal Collective. He often stretches his mind to out of body experiences on his solo records on pretty much his entire discography, ranging from the layered and dizzying Person Pitch to the futuristic Panda Bear Meets the Grim Reaper. The latest Panda Bear record is his biggest turning point and is surely meets fans at crossroads. Buoys is enriched in acoustic guitar, hip hop and 808's production with a way more upfront Lennox than ever before. On paper, this is probably a huge turnoff to fans across the board. On record,Buoys is an enjoyable new adventure for Panda Bear. Sure, it has some lukewarm and mixed results, but definitely shines a new light for Lennox in 2019.
Hearing the first single, "Dolphin," last year was an unexpected ballad full of washing instrumentation, some water drops, and an autotune croon. I found the stylistic shift to be surprising, notably hearing the acoustic guitar. I'm genuinely surprised how often you hear the acoustic guitar on these songs. It's like a step back to his past material with Animal Collective (notably Sung Tongs andCampfire Songs) while a step forward with the rest of the instrumentation. I can hear the influence modern trap and R&B music has on Lennox through nearly this whole record. The songs themselves are more atmospheric and airy, having more room than some of the cacophony of sounds on his last record.
"Token" has these rising synths that sound like an off-kilter future. "Cranked" has pleasant acoustic guitar strums matched with sci-fi gun-like blasting. "Master" may have the more annoying vocals, leaning more towards Lennox's upper register. "Inner Monologue" is the prettiest song, having some heavenly melodic guitar matched with a sample of a weeping girl in the background. The chorus is beautiful too, with Lennox's harmonious vocals pitched down on top of some deep percussion.
I'll be honest, much of the songs on Buoys sound very similar to each other, relying on the acoustic guitar, 808's beats and autotune. This may be bad to some, but is a much more satisfying album experience than hand picking songs by themselves. I personally really enjoy this new direction. It's new, different and unexpected for fans, which is great for a change. Unfortunately, much of these songs aren't going to be year long favorites and aren't going into the favorite Panda Bear vault. The production can be questionable and head scratching sometimes as well. Buoys is an enjoyable, yet unfortunately forgettable release. I'll always be excited for what Panda Bear will do next, nonetheless.
My Rating: 6 / 10
Favorite Songs: "Dolphin," "Inner Monologue," "Cranked," "Token"
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