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8.0
109226
8.0 |
Slant Magazine
Buoys may not mark a major departure in Panda Bear’s sound, but it bristles with the creative energy of an artist confronting his deepest, most destructive demons
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8.0
109230
8.0 |
Loud And Quiet
‘Buoys’ is at times a Spaghetti Western, at others an intergalactic synth battle, and then it sounds like someone’s singing a Scott Walker song through a swanee whistle
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8.0
109231
8.0 |
Exclaim
Where previous Animal Collective and Panda Bear albums felt like engrossing page-turners, Buoys is like a mottled, 140-page paperback you can pick up at any time and get something out of, regardless of mental state or surroundings
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8.0
109232
8.0 |
Q
Even when the centre spins out, Lennox's naive melodies make his indulgence sound strangely inviting. Print edition only
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8.0
109286
8.0 |
DIY
A stunning, if hushed, indirect hit
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7.6
109368
7.6 |
Pitchfork
Lennox finds solace in solitude on his fourth solo album as Panda Bear, stripping the instrumentation down to just a handful of sounds to create an unusually unified listen
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7.2
109228
7.2 |
Earbuddy
Buoys is a fairly calm listening experience. Nothing gets too wild; the mood is very chill as you’d expect
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7.0
109229
7.0 |
Under The Radar
A fruitful addition to Lennox's one-of-a-kind audial metamorphism
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7.0
109233
7.0 |
Uncut
It's a new direction, one stretched fairly thin across nine similar tracks. Print edition only
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7.0
109288
7.0 |
All Music
The relatively empty arrangements take a few listens to latch on, but their openness showcases Lennox's gifts for honest, fearless songwriting. Try as he may to embrace external influences, Panda Bear remains inescapably himself
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7.0
109277
7.0 |
Spectrum Culture
If the album is the least immediately rewarding of Panda Bear’s solo career, it nonetheless reveals copious merits upon repeat engagement
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7.0
109225
7.0 |
Clash
There’s the addition of autotune and a vague hip-hop bent which lends an iridescence to his now-familiar modus operandi
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7.0
109406
7.0 |
Drowned In Sound
That this set of songs with a gentle, personal musical touch and therapeutic lyrical themes should be titled Buoys can be no accident; these are actually little nuggets of music that could offer solace to somebody who feels that they are sinking
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6.7
109227
6.7 |
Consequence Of Sound
A record awash with sound that envelops the listener in a gentle, serene manner
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6.2
109282
6.2 |
Resident Advisor
The Animal Collective cofounder strips back his sound, but loses something in the process
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6.0
109234
6.0 |
Mojo
A record that mixes the hum of his adopted city [Lisbon] with the serenity of its oceanside setting. Print edition only
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5.8
109375
5.8 |
Pretty Much Amazing
Unremarkable lonely beach music
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5.0
109367
5.0 |
Crack
Manages to float by in spite of its flat points, but only just
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4.0
109249
4.0 |
The Music
Lacks urgency, immediacy and for the most part inspiration. Perhaps the best aspect of the album is its sparse, unfussy sound design which has the captivating spatial dynamics of an Arthur Russell record. But the biggest problem might be the songs themselves
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3.0
109279
3.0 |
The 405
What has previously been a steady but inoffensive deterioration in Panda Bear’s music has now slid to the bottom of the trough
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