Josh Panda is an artist that was recommended to me by someone on Twitter in the past week, and tonight seems like a good night to check him out. Panda is originally from North Carolina, and he grew up in a musical family. Panda eventually found a home in Vermont after some time in the industry and performing across the globe. From what I can tell from a quick search on the internet, Panda’s style spans multiple genres in large part due to his voice that spans four octaves. I’m pretty stoked to check out this album, so with that said, I’m going to jump on into the music.
“Scratch Me” starts out with a really groovy drum beat. Oh wow, a super sweet mixture of distorted keys, a gradually grooving bass line, and a distorted electric guitar enters the soundscape and gives the tune a southern rock and roll sound with some psychedelic flavorings. Oh wow, Panda’s voice has a super groovy flavor that sounds both fresh, yet something like I’ve heard before. His voice almost reminds me of Lowell George up one octave at the moment. Oh wow, I’m really digging this track so far. Oh wow, some of the vocal lines keep going in a sort of manner that reminds me of Tim Buckley a bit. Oh wow, the instrumentation keeps building and growing into something more intense, more psychedelic, and more southern. Holy smokes, this track is super groovy. Wow, great track and I’m stoked to hear more.
Oh wow, “After the Smoke Clears” starts out with a really smooth mixture of acoustic guitar strumming and a groovy bass line that aid the beat of the drums in the rhythm section. Holy smokes, this track is super groovy. There really are some elements that do continue to remind me of Lowell George, and particularly George’s solo album from 1979; the feel of the drums and bass I think remind me the most of George’s album. Holy smokes, the tune slows down for a moment to just some vocals and the acoustic guitar, reminding me again of Tim Buckley. Super groovy track.
“We’ve Come Too Far” starts out with a really groovy beat that is soon joined by some piano and bass line that combine to form something that feels like a combination of 1970s southern rock like from Little Feat, along with modern indie acts such as Passion Pit. Holy smokes, there are some organs swirling around in the background. Oh wow, the reverberation and synth effects on one the keyboard is absolutely awesome. Oh wow, there are some horns in this track that add even more feeling to the soundscape. Wow, great track and I’m excited to hear more.
Holy smokes, “Drive You Home” starts out with an acoustic guitar and a sort of easy-grooving percussion that combine to form a classic modern indie rock/pop sound that I’m really digging. Wow, the feel of this song is great, especially within the context of the album. Oh wow, there’s some piano that adds some sweet accentuations for a moment, somehow adding even more feel to the soundscape. Wow, super sweet track.
“I’m Going to Miss You” starts out with some distant vocals and an overall sound that reminds me of the first couple of moments from Pink Floyd’s “Wish You Were Here”. Oh wow, the tune seemingly snaps into place in a way that reminds me of some r&b songs from the late 1960s and early 1970s with a bit of modern musical influence. Holy smokes, a super sweet guitar comes in with some licks that remind me a bit of the LaBelle record, Labelle (1971), which I listened to last year. Holy smokes, the song continually builds as Panda elevates his voice to new heights in the track. Great tune.
Oh wow, “Stick a Fork in Me” starts out with some distorted and super groovy guitar work that gets me hooked in right away. Oh wow, I really dig the combination of the synthy bass guitar and big backbeat, which almost combine to have a have an 80s rock sound. Oh wow, the electric guitar seems to gradually ramp up with some tremelo and echoes that have a sort of reverberated hypnotic sound. Holy smokes, the electric keyboard solo is super groovy. The overall sound has quite a few psychedelic elements at this point, while not really venturing too far off a modern rock and roll sound. Great track.
Oh wow, “Angel” starts out with some super sweet solo piano that has some great pacing and feel. Holy smokes, an extremely weighty rock ballad has started, which has a ton of familiar sounds while staying something that sounds personal. Holy smokes, the guitar work has some classic country rock feel that I’m really digging. Holy smokes, the orchestral strings add a ton of sweetness to the track. Oh wow, the track somehow continues to build and pick up even more flavor and feeling along the way. The guitar work in this track is awesome, much like the rest of the instrumentation. Wow, awesome tune.
“Cold” starts out with a super sweet vocal line backed by a solemn sounding piano. Oh wow, the spacious drums enter the soundscape, giving the track even more feel with the syncopated style. Oh wow, the track picks up some steam and what I think is a guitar adding some light, distorted feedback to the track enters the soundscape as well. Wow, this track is super groovy. Oh wow, I think the guitar I mentioned earlier is actually a synth, as the tune has broken through again to this intensified movement. Wow, super sweet tune.
Oh wow, “She Couldn’t Hold Me Down” starts out with a super smooth segue from the previous track with what sounds to be a mellow synth in the background. Oh wow, the tune gets grooving pretty quickly into what sounds to be a classic rock and roll track, reminding me of Huey Lewis & The News in particular. Oh wow, the different piano and guitar licks are super groovy. Oh wow, the tune gradually picks up more flavors that remind me again of Lowell George and other southern rock acts. Holy smokes, the tune enters into a different movement about halfway through that feels markedly more psychedelic with the change in tempo, the swirling synths, the far out guitar licks that accentuate the synth and vocals nicely, and the groovy layering of the background vocals. Holy smokes, the tune falls back into the first movement a really sweet way. Wow, great track.
“Guns” starts out with some really sweet acoustic guitar that immediately hooks me into the track. There’s an interesting light percussion from what sounds to be a reverberated tapping of a metal block and a wooden block that adds even more sweetness to the soundscape. Holy smokes, a piano enters the soundscape and seems to play off of both the tapping and the melody from the acoustic guitar. Super sweet tune, and a great way to end the listening experience of the album.
Wow, I’m glad I checked out Josh Panda. I’m a bit surprised I’d never heard of him until recently, as the quality of his music and the style of some of the songs remind me of a lot of acts on the indie charts from the past decade. Plus there’s the addition of southern flavors that even take on a bit of a psychedelic sound at times that I really dig. Overall, I was reminded relatively frequently of the instrumentation and the feel of the vocals of Lowell George’s solo album, Thanks, I’ll Eat It Here (1979), as well as Tim Buckley’s vocals if they were up an octave, and even a bit of Huey Lewis & The News with the instrumentation at times. If you’re a fan of 1970s rock and roll and modern indie rock, you might want to consider checking out this album. If you do decide to give this album a listen, I sincerely do hope that you enjoy the listening experience at least as much as I did.
-A