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9.0
145049
9.0 |
All Music
A ? of WHEN feels like a natural continuation of the hypnotic wonderland the duo achieved on Reset, and its experiments with new instrumentation and song structure make for a second chapter that’s even more engaging, more mystifying, and more connective than the first
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9.0
145069
9.0 |
Sputnik Music (staff)
This is a gorgeous, sweeping, summery experimental record that in my humblest of opinions deserves to see Panda Bear and Sonic Boom recognized far more than they currently are as a brilliant psych-pop duo
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8.5
145153
8.5 |
Northern Transmissions
A ? of WHEN may not be as instantly lovable as Reset, but spend enough time with it, and with each new return visit, it gradually reveals itself as the richer, more ambitious record
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8.0
145050
8.0 |
Exclaim
"I'm praying, I'm hoping / That something lasts," the duo harmonize toward the album's back end on the understated slow dance of "Somethin' That Lasts." Both together and apart, for decades on end, Panda Bear and Sonic Boom have created music that does just that
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8.0
145051
8.0 |
Uncut
The set lacks piquancy but is nonetheless a charming listen. Print edition only
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8.0
145052
8.0 |
Mojo
The initial effect is of a grand modernist pop record, but behind the extruded Beach Boys harmonies and cartoonish percussion, there is a fragility to A ? Of When. Print edition only
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7.7
145097
7.7 |
Rolling Stone
The duo’s latest collaborative album is spacious and open-hearted and surprising: a set of patiently constructed terrariums you have to walk around in to fully experience
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7.5
145087
7.5 |
Spectrum Culture
The best work by Panda Bear has been collaborative and drenched in sunshine; A ? of WHEN shows both sides of why this is
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7.0
145096
7.0 |
PopMatters
What feels missing from Panda Bear’s new LP is a greater willingness to let carefully chosen timbres lead to equally adventurous harmonic or structural destinations
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7.0
145144
7.0 |
The Quietus
Acknowledgement and concentration on what you do best and what you enjoy doing. Whether those things – like in the case of Panda Bear and Sonic Boom – coalesce or remain two different entities, it’s always worth trying
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6.0
145053
6.0 |
The Arts Desk
Especially when the songs are at their most repetitious and hypnotic it does achieve sublimity
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6.0
145054
6.0 |
Far Out
Don’t listen to this if you’ve got vertigo. And, even for those of us on the straight and narrow, you might need a darkened room and an anti-sickness tablet to deal with it. Layers of production and hazy sound are all well and good, but this is to the point where you’ll not know your head from your feet
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