Panda Bear Meets the Grim Reaper

So, as with all the others this month I am getting rid of some old album and trying to de clutter the  drafts folder. Logically, most of these albums this month wont get super amazing scores (in part to my lack of anything to say, also because why it took so long). I already heard this album, and I liked enough of it to do a review of it. This is the fourth solo album by Panda Bear, member of Animal Collective. I have heard his Mr. Noah Ep before this review, which I might just review, and also I've heard AC's 2012 album Centipede Hz. There were enough stuff on there for me to everntually want to check out the rest of their solo and collective stuff.

1. Sequential Circuits: This opens the album, and to be honest, it's sort of heavenly. I mean not in the way that I'd want it to be (but that could be intentional). I mean this kind of has a sort of water sound, and sounds like it'd be a good intro. The only problem is it's like 3 in a half minutes long. I mean it does go by fast, but still. It isn't terrible, I just wish it was shorter maybe. But again that's a personal thing, I do think it works as is though.
2. Mr. Noah: This is a track that was released on an Ep back in November. I didn't review it because j though it was just okay. I may review the Ep but I also may not. I do think this is a good follow up, it sounds like he sampled dogs whimpering and the Pod Racers flying by. I do think that's pretty cool. I think this is kind of a bit of a mess when the song starts, but I do at least enjoy this mess. I mean I like it, but I don't think it's amazing.
3. Davy Jone's Locker: This song kind of went by I didn't even notice it the first time.
4. Crosswords: This song has a nice feeling to it. Again nothing spectacular, just kind of pleasant. 
5. Butcher Baker Candlestick Maker: Okay, at this point I've kind of lost my intrest in this overall sound
6. Boys Latin: For whatever reason, I feel this song is gay. Like really, as in homosexual. Maybe it's because of the Filmworks with the gay Latinos males, but I don't know. Also I mean, the words he's speaking could be another language, but I don't really think it's as cool as it should be. I don't know, like it said the charm of the albums gone at this point.
7. Come To Your Senses: This beat sort of reminds me of the "Oh Danny Boy, Danny Boy" section of I Get Knocked Down. Or whatever the name of the song is :) I mean not exactly, but sort of a variation maybe. Not terrible, but again sort of goes in one ear and out the other.
8. Tropic of Cancer: This is by far the best song here. It's so simple, but it's so heavenly it the way it sounds. If I'm not mistaken, this uses a I-vi-IV-V progression. I might be wrong, it might be a variation, but is sure sounds very doowop progression to me. It sounds like it's being arpeggiated on a harp and it's so gorgeous. The vocals just add to an atmosphere that makes me feel as though I'm waking though the pearly gates. This track alone is worth checking out the album for. Oh, I guess the harp is a sample of a the Nutcracker Suite Pas de Deux.
9. Shadow of Colossus: I don't really know what to say.
10. Lonely Wanderer: The beginning of this song starts out with this kind of heavenly feeling After that it goes into a sole piano. The was the piano sounds it reminds me very much so of Eisley's album Currents, the track in mind I have is Drink The Water.
11. Principe Real: Again, not half bad its just I ran out of things to say.
12. Selfish Gene: This  is a pretty fun track. I mean it's nothing but fun none the less.
13. Acid Wash: This is a great closer and just kind of feels like it completes this. I like the swirl, I just wish that would have ended the song, like the first one.

Overall I have to give this album a 5/10. While this album starts just ok for me it eventually picks up steam and has some great tracks I really like. Do I think it's steam continues for the rest of the album? No. Do I feel that this album is worth buying a CD of? Possibly. One thing I know for sure is i still need to check Merriweather Post Pavillion.  But really I mean, this isn't half bad. It's just not mind blowing or amazing really to me. To be honest, I'd play this as background music. 

Congratulations - MGMT

#5. This is the second studio album released by one of my favorite bands MGMT. These guys are from Connecticut, forming at Wesleyan University. They came out with their first release in 2004. At that time they were known as The Management, but when they found out someone was using that name they changed it to MGMT. They released their first studio album Oracular Spectacular in October of 2007 digitally. Then in January they released the CD and LP versions. In my opinion, they haven't released anything yet that I don't like. I first got into theses guys with Oracular Spectacular in fall of 10th grade. That was the year that I really began experimenting with different types of music. The first time I heard any song on this I liked it, but it has only grown on me. Here is the review. This was supposed to go up the 13th, but I wanted to do a fucking amazing job on this review. So instead what I did was I waited until the last week of the month and uploaded the reviews that were going up. Well that was 13 months ago, but you definitely won't be disappointed, hopefully. I know I won't. I bought the CD and picked up stuff I never did before.

1. It's Working: This is an amazing opener to this album. It is a very fun feeling song and it is upbeat and cool. It also has a fun music video. This is already much different for their last album. This is a fun song. Like I said earlier, it's kind of cartoony. You can really get into this song, and it sets up the rest of the album so well. The harmony vocals are dreamy and it's just so like great.
2. Song For Dan Tracey: This is a song that was one of my favorites the first time I heard it. It was a really cool song to listen to and it is fun. It is upbeat and exciting to listen to. This song also has a cartoony feeling to it. But after the verse it goes into a nightmarish cartoon. This song has a jungle vibe.  Part due to the instrumentation, but also the mentioning of the jungle in the song. This song is another song that could get you set up for the rest of the album. The ending is a buildup and it only gets more exciting.
3. Someone's Missing: This is one of my favorite song of all time. I love the way this song builds. This is the most tame song in the beginning, thus far on the album. Because of that fact, it's one of my favorite tracks on the album. This song is too short to be a single, but I wouldn't want it any other way. The whole. I love the way, though it's "hidden", you can hear the bass. If you listen, and the psychedelic sounds there. I love the guitars distortion on this track and it makes me get pumped for what to come next. I've heard this song about a million times and I still get pumped each time I hear it. The outro to the song almost comes in beautifully. ORGASM!!!
4. Flash Delirium: I love the bass on this track. This is a single, but its such a weird song. I don't really see how a normal person, unless you're high, or you're me, would understand this song. Now I'm not going "You just don't get art". No, I'm going, "You don't appreciate it". There's a difference. The lyrics to this song are somewhat sadistic. I'm not 100% sure if this is about the same thing, for the most part, as the line "stab you're FaceBook", and "vanity", like Andrew said how he felt about. This song has a nervous breakdown at the ending of it. This song is kind of like a painting. The same way Life On Mars? is by David Bowie. This song is overwhelming at the ending. And it progressively gets more overwhelming. More and more and more and more and more and more gets built on to it. Then it has little bits where it cools down, but not very much. The music also paints a picture too. It's just so magical. It's almost "the prefect song". The music video is something else too. Check it out, and tell me if you get it.... I did. {10/10}
5. I Found A Whistle: This song reminds me of Christmas. The synthesizers give me that same feeling, not sound but feeling, that I get from Wonderful Christmastime by Paul McCartney & Wings. But you know, it's kind of a twisted one, with a noose. I love the white noise sounds in there. It kind of sounds like snow in the wind. This is a very sweet song to continue after the last "meltdown". 
6. Siberian Breaks: This is the longest song on the album, and it is also the best. It isn't my favorite, because I don't have a one certain favorite on this album, but it is the most well composed and put together song on the album. Ok, it may be my favorite. I'm not sure, but this song is like Flash Delirium but if that song was older and "better", and a more mature version of Metanoia (though it's shorter by around 1:30). It's hard to imagine, especially since I praised that song too. This song is just a trip from the beginning. I love the jazz chords and the whole psychedelic vibe to the acoustic part. It reminds me a little of Jugband Blues. Because it could still be psychedelic and there be an acoustic guitar. And his Rickenbacker... DAMN! The melody of this song and the "second part" where they start singing with the echo. I know it's about surfing in the arctic, and it's a great song. It song is more of a painting than Flash. The part where it sounds like a jumpy part or a skip, reminds me of Syd's Floyd. And the "Old Mary Ann" line, I believe that's an Alice in Wonderland reference to the rabbit. I might be wrong, but I think that's what it is. The next part with the echos and the "flares".... YES! Then there is the part where it kind of goes into a normal song, before going into the acoustic melody of the beginning, and then outro flares of electronic sound, it's beautiful. {12/10}
7. Brian Eno: This song is named after the producer of the same name. This song returns to the fun that was on the songs like Dan Tracey and It's Working. After buying the CD I was able to pick up on the different layers on this song. The little tiny things. Which is something he'd do. Listen to the little details on The Warm Jets and you'll understand. An example in this song is right before the last chorus the "what does he know" that's hard to understand. There is also little Enoesque layers throughout. I love how this song pretty much falls apart. With the sirens in the background. The very ending literally falls apart, kind of like And All Things Will End by A7X. There are things that I probably won't pick up on yet, since I'm getting into Eno now, but in the future it might be fun to see if there's any references that I'ven't picked up. Like how they say his whole name, that he chose Brian Peter George St. John le Baptiste de la Salle Eno.
8. Lady Dada's Nightmare: This is a avant-garde song that could be fit under dada. Hence "Lady Dada's Nightmare". It is also a point to Gaga because I guess Andrew, the singer, likes her music and had a new found appreciation for it. Whatever, I still don't care for Gaga, but this song. This is a great track to go before the ending. Craziness right before a beautiful ending. ITs actually pretty beautiful. Its kind of like the ending of Siberian Breaks. This sounds like it was composed. Then screams in the background make it awesome. My cousin said that when he saw them live this year they cameout to this song playing. And it was extremely loud.
9. Congratulations: This is the best ending for the album. It is such a pretty song. It gives this album a Congrats, you guys did it, you made an amazing album and did it how you wanted to. The applause at the end of the song is so fitting because this album does deserve a round of applause. The keyboards solo brings a tear to my eye. The video is also pretty beautiful. The acoustic guitar in this song is sick, and when I learned it I was so proud. This song is a true gem,

Overall I give this a 10/10. You have to give these guys props. They made it big using commercial electronic sounds and could of continued doing that and making tons of more money, but they didn't want to make that music anymore. To think that they killed it, in a good way, doing the electronic pop stuff, and then killing it doing the neo-psychedelic/prog style. You could trip on this at the same time as this being the soundtrack for a cartoon. The album cover helps set the tone. These guys are very good at song writing. And if you like it or not there is no denying it. There are so many moments on that I still get into with each listen. When I listen to an album and there is songs that progressively grow on me. Oh, real fast, this is better than the Laming Fips. Like say Brian Eno is the only song you like, well once you have established that as a sick song, not to the point of you being bored of the song, but you want to search more. Then your new favorite songs is Song For Dan Tracey then this happens until you like every song. I call this, at least for myself, a standard. I doubt that's the right term, but that's what I refer to stuff like that. Example Nightmare or House of Balloons or Mr. Bungle self titled album or even You Are What You Is. How about Joe's Garage Vol. I or Joe's Garage Vol. II & III. These are examples of albums for me where I progressively fall for another song each listen or so. One last thing, if you want you could play this for kids and they'll probably love it, and people who love psychedelic music too. Most of the lyrics on this album paint a picture too. Hell, this album  is a great big picture. Can't wait to hear MGMT since hearing Alien Days.