-=- SHGZ -=-
* Shoegaze * Indie * Post-Rock * Grunge * Dream Pop * Psych-Rock * Ethereal *
ARTIST..: Panda Riot
ALBUM...: Infinity Maps
GENRE...: Indie
STYLE...: Shoegaze, Indie Rock, Krautrock, Ethereal, Dreamp Pop
YEAR....: 2017
LABEL...:
ENCODER.: LAME 3.98.4 -V0
BITRATE.: 264 kbps avg
QUALITY.: 44.1kHz / Joint Stereo
SOURCE..: CD
TRACKS..: 18
SIZE....: 97.54 MB
URL..: http://www.facebook.com/PandaRiotBand/
http://www.allmusic.com/artist/panda-riot-mn0002467785/biography
- TRACKLIST
1 Aphelion 4:25
2 Helios (June 20th) 3:27
3 Latitudes 1:25
4 Ghosting 4:43
5 Chimera 1:52
6 Double Dream 3:58
7 Arrows 4:41
8 Parachute 1:34
9 Night Animation 3:55
10 Parallels 1:43
11 Infinity Maps 1:16
12 Niagara 0:33
13 New Colors 4:56
14 Aurora Shift 1:27
15 Glass Cathedrals 0:40
16 Gold Lines 4:50
17 Otherside 3:40
18 Magic Numbers 0:55
Total Playtime: 50:00
Arriving four years after 2013's Northern Automatic Music, the new album from
Chicago's Panda Riot harks back to the heady heyday of shoegaze. Prepare to
get swept away by Rebecca Scott's vocals and the grand washes of sound on
songs like "Helios" and "New Colors," then pulverized by the exploding
crescendo of "Latitudes," and finally hypnotized by the gentle "Otherside."
*
Chicago's premier dream gazers have dropped their self-released album. With
18 tracks, it runs out to 50 minutes or so and is chock full of great tunes.
The band contacted me about a month ago and asked me to review the album. I
guess they liked the last review I concocted for their Saint Marie release,
so there you have it. I would have gladly reviewed the album anyway, as it's
a stellar piece of work. Engineered by guitarist and audiophile Brian Cook in
the band's East Garfield Park studio, it gave Cook lots of time to
obsessively construct complex and carefully conceived sonic layers, some of
which sample other tracks on the album. He even built his own guitar pedals
to create the perfect tone when things weren't working in his mind. The end
result of a four year wait is this sonic marvel of an album. To say it
surpasses their last record is an understatement. This release is dreamy
headphone music that will send you soaring as its layers unfold and reveal
themselves. The group has done a fine job with this record, and it's sure to
please old fans and new fans just exploring the shoegaze and dream pop
genres. Well done!
*
Having started out as a duo with a drum machine, Chicago four piece Panda
Riot have seemingly always had an interest in blending the electronic and
organic. Seamlessly switching between programmed and live drumming on
previous albums, and augmenting their intentionally washed out guitar sound
with keyboards, they have always sought to strike a balance between these
aspects of their sound.
Infinity Maps is the most realized version of their aesthetic yet, as the
keyboards, loops, and processing are used to full effect to add texture to
the proceedings. The frequent use of interlude tracks is perhaps the most
apparent change from their previous albums, such as the fully ambient
"Niagara", which transitions seamlessly into the opening of "New Colors".
The mood is often uptempo and light, but always with an air of melancholy
thanks to the contributions of singer/guitarist Rebecca Scott. As opposed to
their early work, she uses more of her lower vocal range, which is airy and
soothing. The production doesn't seek to cover up her presence, but rather
gives her voice room to breathe, with the lyrics readily decipherable. The
work of the band's rhythm section can also be credited with the propulsive,
engaging sound of many of these songs, such as the early tempo change in "New
Colors".
The 18-song track list is perhaps less intimidating than it looks, as the
band throw the occasional curveball, like the trip hop beat on "Aurora Shift"
into the mix. Noticeably however, while nothing sounds tossed off, some of
the album's later mid tempo tracks do tend to run together. Overall, as a
richly orchestrated melange of guitar-based and electronic aspects, Infinity
Maps should appeal to many fans of dreamy pop music.
*
Four years after the release of the fabulous Northern Automatic Music, Panda
Riot is back on the scene with their newly released Infinity Maps. This
long-awaited third album by the Chicago-based band was well worth the wait
with 18 tracks of delicious dreampop for your listening pleasure. Brian Cook,
Rebecca Scott, JosT Alejandro Rodrfguez, and Cory Osborne return with catchy
riffs, gorgeous melodies, and an album that surpasses their debut. Spinning a
deceptive tale of sugary innocence, there is an undergirding bite to Panda
Riot's bright poppy veneer. The dreamy quality of this entire album helps the
listener just soak in its ethereal nature and much of that dreaminess is due
to Scott's beloved vocal qualities.
"Aphelion", the first single off Infinity Maps and the grand opener,
instantly convinces the listener that they are in for an epic album from
start to finish. Roaring into the speakers with drony guitars that instantly
give way to strumming, fuzzy guitar and Scott's inviting vocals, the track
moves in and out of gorgeous vocal melodies that soar and dip over warbling
guitar. The bridge is also so lovely and the hook in it just sticks in your
head in all the right ways. It's a simply "oooo" vocal that is repeated in
other places on the album. "Helios (June 20th)" begins with effervescent
feedback and then moves into a medium tempo, swirling guitar laden dreampop
tour de force. "Helios" is dreamy and should be a single at some point.
"Latitudes" is one of the brief interludes on the album that plays with the
more electronic side of the band. It is a spacy and drone laden affair that
lasts a brief 1:25. Given how beautiful it is, I wish it were much longer.
"Ghosting" follows with bright synths that almost instantly transform into a
full-fledged dream-poppy, hooky track. When the fuzz is stripped away, the
vocals come to the fore and Scott spins a beautifully sung set of lines over,
well, ghostly guitar sounds. The otherworldliness of it all is evocative.
"Chimera" is another brief piece but has the essence of a full song. Backward
vocals sit over bright instrumentation for this one. The band is clearly
laying out a sonic soundscape that evokes otherworldliness and doing it with
great aplomb.
"Double Dream" has this great bass line that punctuates the more driving
moments in the track. One thing that Panda Riot as a band does wonderfully is
utilize sparse moments that allow Scott's vocals to really carry over quiet
instrumentation, whether it's drones, synths, or effect-laden guitars. The
drum and bass work are exceptional here, as they move in and out of the
composition to create great contrast. "Arrows", the second single (with a
video you can watch below), has a Pia Fraus flavor mixed in with beefier
guitars and high-end, twee vocals in the verse sections. The vocals in the
chorus move up front in the mix and sit over twinkling guitar, shiny
percussion, and perfectly placed bass. The change-ups in the song are just
lovely as well, surprising and deftly executed. "Parachute" is another brief
piece. This one is piano-centric with syncopated drums and sampled vocals
from Scott.
"Night Animation" gets the body moving with an infection groove and a deep,
abiding bass-line. The backward synth tones create a swirling controlled
chaos held together by the percussion and vocals. "Parallels" also uses that
reverse sort of instrumentation sound along with perfectly timed vocal
phrasings. It's another short interlude, as the band shows they can deftly
punctuate the album with these brilliant tiny bits of aural pleasure.
"Infinity Maps", the titular track, is another one of those short moments,
playing off that dreamy sort of feel that is laced throughout the album and
prominent in "Aphelion" with the "ooo" moments. This leads in "Niagra", the
shortest piece on the album, clocking in at 33 second. It is layered synths
that rise into the speakers and then are quieted.
"New Colors" is the longest song on the album. It takes the dreamier pieces
of the album and mixes them with syncopated percussion and floating guitars.
It encapsulates a lot of the various elements found elsewhere on the album
into one, more simply constructed song. "Aurora Shift" really moves away
tonally from what has come before. The bass work is more prominent and
creates a more driving sense. Synths and guitars shimmer, creating an
ethereal base for the track. This brief piece leads into another short one
called "Glass Cathedrals" which, again, I wish were much longer. I think
Panda Riot needs to put out an ambient album because these ambient moments
are just lush and deeply gorgeous but all too brief.
"Gold Lines" has that classic, addictive Panda Riot feel with patient, slow
pacing and breathy vocals. The guitars glisten in time with the drums in
between moments of creating dense walls of sound. "Otherside" plays with a
melody that's reminiscent of early girl groups. The melodic choices recall
those early pop gems that sit alongside organ and glistening guitars. It's a
beautifully written last proper song on the album. "Magic Numbers", however,
completes the 18-track album simply with the "ooo" section from "Aphelion",
creating a ring-like composition. It not only beckons the listener to hear a
finishing touch, tying the whole album together, but it also is an invitation
to star the journey once again.
The wait for a new Panda Riot album is now over and it was well worth the
wait. Infinity Maps is an 18-track dreampop wonder and should be missed by no
one. Moving from beautifully constructed pop to ethereal, almost stunningly
chaotic moments, Panda Riot delivers on all levels.
-=- SHGZ -=-
P.S.
** Thanks ***
*** BCC FNT IPC SSR ***
*** For Knowing Where The Music Is At ***
*** Props to CaHeSo, awesome Asian Indie/Shoegaze ***
*** And to FANG/HOUND for supporting all the Indie lovers out there ***
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* NuHS we miss you! *
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