Album Review: Panda Bear - A Day With The Homies

Vinyl fetishists can get ready to shrug off those existential post-Xmas/NYE comedown blues, as the key Animal Collective member's new EP will be available on 12" only. It's his latest in a string of releases stretching back to 2015's Panda Bear Meets The Grim Reaper EP and Animal Collective's Painting With. 

Leaving behind his beachside chill-out tent material, A Day With The Homies' simpler, more power-driven approach is evident from the chunky bass grumbles that open the first track Flight. Equally arresting is the booming guitar that powers Part Of The Math all around the room. Some elements will be quite familiar to long-time fans, such as his swooping style of chanting. But the biggest gains here are still when Panda Bear tries to break new ground, as he does with the fire engine-like sirens of Nod To The Folks. Most tracks have attention-grabbing openings, but fail to follow through with killer blows, although many could worm their way into some expansively minded DJ sets. But enough of the EPs and other distractions, where's the real follow-up to Panda Bear Meets The Grim Reaper already?