By Stan Cierlitsky
I'm pleasantly surprised that we get another dose of the brilliant collaboration of Panda Bear (Noah Lennox of Animal Collective) and Sonic Boom (Pete Kember of Spacemen 3). A ? Of When is out now on Domino. It might be a little harder to track down though as this album won't be available on streaming platforms. Peter Kember (Sonic Boom) notes "We're trying to minimise online stuff and push for real life posters on walls, billboards, radio, all that pre-millennium, old school, pre-social media marketing techniques."
Even though your search for this album might be more difficult, it will certainly be worth it. Panda Bear and Sonic Boom take their partnership to a new level on this album. Their 2022 debut Reset set the stage for the duo. Each artist brought little tools and sounds from their individual work. Reset was critically acclaimed, and for good reason. But on A ? Of When they take their sound to a whole new level, partly thanks to tape loops of harp from Mary Lattimore. Those loops anchor the sound as each half of the duo seems to be trying to show off for the other. And what we get is an incredibly layered and produced album that almost sounds like a weird Alice in Wonderland soundtrack.
The first single from the album is the title track which starts with a backwards tape, and features sounds Sonic Boom made famous (check out Spectrum's amazing "How You Satisfy Me" single). Then you get an assortment of weird synth sounds and special effects. The lyrics are fun and playful. "I'm like a kitty cat. I'm gonna land on my feet again."
Other favorites from the album include the opener "Never Givin' In" and "Something Like Dreaming" later on the record. Both are slower but they really showcase how amazing this partnership is.
A sort of sonic experiment, and one where the two musicians are really indulging themselves, A ? Of when is recommended for those who want to hear these guys really let loose. Things remain tuneful throughout, even as the songs go a little bit out there.
A ? Of When by Panda Bear and Sonic Boom is out now via Domino.
[Photo: Austeja Sciavinskaite]