8/10

During his time as Animal Collective's most forward-thinking member, producer Noah Lennox aka Panda Bear has managed to create a solo career as captivating as his formative outfit. With a stunning array of unconventional works and psychedelic inspirations, the frontman has stood as a bold and dynamic artist that still manages to separate himself from his work within Animal Collective. And now onto his sixth solo release 'Buoys', the beatmaker seems even more at ease in his own abilities than we have heard recently, and once again delivers the wonderfully warped goods.

While his 'A Day With The Homies' EP last year saw him take on a more forceful and abrasive edge than we are used to, this new collection sees him revert back to his core sound of eccentric electronics and a sparse yet sometimes haunting atmosphere that really becomes the focus of this new release. Always one to put his own place on the record behind the layered productions and tones, 'Buoys' plays with the subtle elegance of a man simply riffing with ideas that somehow manage to form a full and completed work. His laidback demeanour throughout this LP becomes infectious, so much so that just listening to a few minutes of it will leave you in a more relaxed state of mind.

It is hard to believe that after all this time there is still plenty of inventiveness within the protagonist, but somehow Panda Bear has become one of those unstoppable entities within the alternative music scene. An incredible well-constructed and cohesive release that just demands to be heard from start to finish.