Panda Bear - Young Prayer
[Paw Tracks]

As half of the team that produced one of the finest albums of the year, it was always going to be interesting to see how Animal Collective’s Panda Bear [Noah Lennox] would fare with a solo project. Indeed, the strength of the partnership between Panda Bear and Avey Tare was one of the most compelling aspects of Sung Tongs - the way their distinct vocals meshed and converged was particularly wonderful and, like twins finishing each other’s sentences, spoke of a connection that was out of the ordinary. The story of the 'Young Prayer' itself – recorded after the death of Lennox’s father in the same house – only reinforced this sense of expectation.

'Young Prayer' doesn’t exactly display a complete change of form for Lennox. In fact, it sounds distinctly Animal Collective-y. The stuttering rhythms kicked out of an acoustic guitar, the almost nonsense-speak vocals made up of vowels and exclamatory cries, the childlike innocence breathing out of the work – it’s all there. The album could, on first listen, be seen as a reversion to earlier Animal Collective works like 'Campfire Songs'. It is certainly less melodic than 'Sung Tongs' and has a freeform and improvised feel. In fact, some of the tracks on the album – all unnamed – seem almost more like sketches or exercises rather than songs, running to just over a minute in places and consisting of simple interlacing guitar and piano melodies.

After several listens these ‘incidental’ tracks on 'Young Prayer' make more sense. Each song in it’s own way echoes another and certain elements which run through the album – the simplicity, the starkness in places, the similar cadences and rhythms – build up until the work reaches a form of chant or prayer. In fact, 'Young Prayer' has almost a monastic feel – if that doesn’t sound too strange or cold, because it isn’t – and each of the tracks seem to function as individual meditative pieces, some sorrowful, some joyful, which interlock into a greater whole.

If somewhat flimsy and fragile at points, 'Young Prayer' is, ultimately, a success. It certainly isn’t as fully formed or accomplished as the recent Animal Collective full-length but is charming and thoughtful and has moments as haunting and joyful as 'Sung Tongs'. It isn’t, however, the same sort of album. It feels intensely private and personal and not at all like a ‘public’ piece of art but more a sort of healing spell. It’s certainly a rewarding listen and makes the next Panda Bear outing something to keep an eye out for.

7/10