Panda Bear - Crosswords EP

 

Panda Bear

Crosswords EP

2015

Panda Bear has already put one of the years most hearelded albums on us Panda Bear Meets The Grim Reaper and now the Crosswords EP features three tracks from those sessions as well as a remix and a much older track that never had a place. This EP follows his style closely and it is nice to hear something new from him so soon, but it really does lack the punch of what Panda Bear Meets The Grim Reaper was all about. There is not that sense of delight and discovery as each new sound entered you ear, somehow Crosswords feels like it was already done and done better. Releasing this record will just add to his already extensive catalog, and bring in a couple new little fun tracks. 

"Jabberwocky" is probably the most original song of the group here. It has an ebb and flow that comes in and out like waves that is quite pleasing, but the way Panda Bear usually ties a whole album together just is not here. If we are honest Panda Bear's weakest effort is miles away from almost everything else out there, but if you were expecting another mind blowing experience, or even a taste of it, like on Panda Bear Meets The Grim Reaper this is not the place to look. Holding an artist to their own high standards is a really tricky thing. On the final song when Panda sings the line "Marijuana makes my day" it seems like this album is about just that, something low stakes just a little album to enjoy until something new and something more important comes out. 

6 out of 10