Panda Bear and Sonic Boom's 'Reset' Is the Dream Collaboration You Didn't Know You Needed in Your Life

Animal Collective's Noah Lennox and Spacemen 3's Peter Kember have collaborated for over a decade, but 'Reset' is their first official release.

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I was stoked when Domino announced Reset, the first official collaboration between Panda Bear and Sonic Boom. Of course, the internet never agrees on anything, and I noticed a comment saying that Panda Bear can’t sing, which I thought was rich coming from someone with Modest Mouse for their avatar.

Issac Brock can yelp all he wants (don’t get me wrong, Lonesome Crowded West and The Moon and Antarctica are bonified indie classics), but Panda Bear has always been my favorite part of Animal Collective. As Panda Bear, Noah Lennox is often compared to The Beach Boys, with the gift of drifting between songbird Carl Wilson and Mike Love, minus the insufferable personality. Take, for example, “Edge of the Edge” or “Danger,” with the former featuring doo-wop harmonies and the latter fitting in perfectly with the comedown comfort of the lo-fi trailblazing Smiley Smile from 1967. Add in the neo-psychedelia brilliance of Pete Kember, aka Sonic Boom, and I am all in on this fun project.

Panda Bear and Sonic Boom have collaborated for over a decade now, with Sonic Boom co-producing Panda Bear’s albums Tomboy and Panda Bear Meets the Grim Reaper. Reset is their first official record together, and the duo has a fresh approach here by writing hazy indie pop built around samples of intros from pop songs of the 50s and 60s. The lead single, “Go On,” explores this in a reanimating sorta fashion, borrowing drums and ringing guitars from The Troggs’ “Give It To Me” and turning garage rock into a hallucinogenic blend of swirling keys. The previously mentioned “Edge of the Edge” is a true highlight, taking Randy and the Rainbows’ only hit, “Denise,” and doubling down on the doo-wop swing that is somehow as modern sounding as anything else released this year.

While Panda Bear is the main vocalist for much of the album, it’s great to have Sonic Boom contribute heavily with his feature, “Whirlpool” being a standout that allows Reset to drift off in an ocean of ping-ponging drum loops and electronic textures. Kemper has performed under many monikers since the breakup of the trailblazing Spacemen 3, but Sonic Boom is a phenomenal chapter. If Reset jumps out at you, don’t miss his album All Things Being Equal and its essential remix record, Almost Nothing Is Nearly Enough.

I already praised Animal Collective’s Time Skiffs earlier this year and imagine it will end up at the top of my year-end list. Now, just six months later, Panda Bear has released another can’t-miss record that’s both highly accessible and most irresistible.

Reset is available now on Domino.