Song of the Week: “Bros” – Panda Bear

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Andrés Bear, Staff Writer

Noah Lennox (Panda Bear) is a member of Animal Collective, an influential indie rock band from the 2000s. Its success has been chronicled tirelessly by music publications, such as Pitchfork and SPIN. With a plethora great albums under its belt, Animal Collective has gained a high status in the industry.

 

Panda Bear, AC’s co-founding member, released Person Pitch his third solo record in 2007 to critical acclaim. The album is chalk full of originality and genre-bending passages. On “Bros”, the third song on the tracklist, Lennox manages to seamlessly blend two sonic ventures into one cohesive piece. It is akin to the beat switches of today, even if the “switch” isn’t completely noticeable by the listener.

 

“Bros” finds Lennox singing directly to an individual who is being a bit intrusive. He wants this unnamed person to back off, but at the same time he realizes that if he/she would respect his privacy – they wouldn’t have a terrible relationship.

 

“I’m not trying to forget you
I just like to be alone
Come and give me the space I need
And you may you may you may you may
You may find that we’re alright”

 

Instrumentally, “Bros” is densely packed with layers of guitars and eclectic samples. The guitar marks its presence at the beginning of the song and doesn’t loosen its grip until the fade-out begins. Eclectic samples, in Panda Bear’s case, means an owl’s hoot to kick off the song, a man and woman crying their hearts out and seemingly random race car sounds sprinkled throughout the 12-minute long piece.

 

Yes, “Bros” is a 12-minute psychedelia-infused trip. One that manages to hypnotize you with its colorful emotion and sound palette. It is both a precursor to the lavish, showy psychedelia of Tame Impala and the momentary, hypnotic nature of Chillwave.

 

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