Listen to Panda Bear's <i>Tomboy</i> Now on Exclaim.ca

BY Alex HudsonPublished Apr 12, 2011

Last year, we got pretty bummed out when Animal Collective said that they would be taking a break. And even though this has meant that we haven't heard much from the experimental pop outfit in the past 12 months, the hiatus actually turned out to be a blessing in disguise. It gave band member Panda Bear (aka Noah Lennox) a chance to record Tomboy, the follow-up to his landmark 2007 solo LP Person Pitch.

Well, the wait for Tomboy is finally over. The album will officially drop on April 12 via Paw Tracks, and Exclaim.ca will be streaming the entire record all week. Go here to listen.

The build-up to Panda Bear's latest solo effort has been a long one. Last summer, Lennox launched a series of seven-inches, which gave him the opportunity to roll out the new tracks two at a time. This was originally intended to lead up to a September 2010 release of the LP, but Lennox ultimately missed his self-imposed deadline.

In addition to releasing new tracks, Lennox made the wait for the full-length even more tantalizing by dropping hints about what the new album would sound like. He described it as "darker" than the sunny Person Pitch, revealing that it would feature a more stripped-down, guitar-heavy style.

Most recently, Lennox hired Spacemen 3's Sonic Boom (aka Peter Kember) to rework the recordings. Kember updated Panda's self-produced tracks with "totally new mixes, arrangements and sleevenotes." This means that the tracks you will hear on Tomboy differ significantly from the seven-inch versions, with standouts like "Last Night at the Jetty" and "Slow Motion" boasting rich sonic textures and sparkling clarity.

Is Tomboy really darker than Person Pitch? Maybe so, but there's no denying that Lennox's love of the Beach Boys is still on full display, as well as his knack for heady, hypnotic electronics.

Take a listen to Tomboy here on Exclaim.ca. But be sure to act fast: the stream will only be available until April 18.

Stay tuned for these future full-album streams on Exclaim.ca:

Explosions in the Sky Take Care, Take Care, Take Care April 19 to April 25
Fleet Foxes Helplessness Blues April 26 to May 2

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