Top 25 Albums Of The Decade (#21)

21) PANDA BEAR – Person Pitch (2007)

No relation. Before you think I’m getting all Pitchfork with this list, let me quickly point out that Panda Bear is more-or-less half the brains behind Animal Collective, who the entire music press has deemed Hippest Band In The World (and who, subsequently, happen to be the most overrated). Recorded in Portugal, Person Pitch is redolent of August afternoons on the esplanade; foreign accents and beautiful women; terra-cotta; red wine and Ambien. Did I mention that I can’t understand a single lyric on this album other than “uh uh uh uh uh uh uh uh?” Or that it’s likely the strangest thing on this whole list? In the previous review I praised Grizzly Bear’s originality. But while that band might stalk you ominously while you’re on a wilderness vision quest, they don’t really mean you any harm—they just want to help you go out of your mind for a couple of days. Panda Bear, on the other hand, just sits on his ass somewhere on the other side of the world, compiling samples on his computer, layering vocal harmonies, taking pills. Face it people, this is your new rock star: a skinny guy in a t-shirt who is infinitely more capable with a mouse and keyboard than he is with a guitar and keyboard. If this scares you, keep in mind that there was once another guy a lot like this back in the day—I won’t say who he is because I’m afraid I’ve already done too much namedropping (HINT: his last name is a number spelled backwards)—who said: “The ability to play music has nothing to do with the art of making music.” Right on, bro. Now if only Mastodon could figure that out…