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MH-260 Her Space Holiday - XOXO, Panda And The New Kid Revival  Putting some space between himself and the computer that has provided the basis for so much of his recent work, Marc Bianchi has taken the last two years to focus on what got him into music in the first place, writing connective songs and working out the layers of sound he hears in his head. The results are a new persona, XOXO, Panda, and the reinforcement of the feelings of personal and artistic freedom that drive his music. Loose and carefree arrangements of guitar, bass, banjo, mandolin, shakers, glockenspiel, and drums lay the foundation for vocal storytelling sing-a-longs. XOXO, Panda And The New Kid Revival is a brilliant calling card for Her Space Holiday’s newly awakened alter-ego, and a watershed moment in his growth as a songwriter and performer. |
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| Reviews Summary |
| Guitar pop songs that are as charming as they are simple - Rolling Stone / That he can switch up styles so frequently and make solid records says something special about Bianchi - Pop Matters / Melodies have that wonderful undefinable quality that makes you want to hear them over and over... Killer indie pop cuts - Babysue |
| To say I was a little bit confused when listening to this album is a bit of an understatement. Having owned a copy of Her Space Holiday's first album Manic Expressive many moons ago, I was expecting more of the same stuff, namely loungey coffee table electronica in the same vein as French duo Air. So I was surprised and a little dejected when XOXO, Panda And The... (top marks for the stupidly long title) sounded ike a mediocre Ben Folds Five. Marc Bianchi (AKA Her Space Holiday) has taken years away from his computer to create a new sound. At first my reaction was to suggest he cut his losses and boot the PC up again, such is this a total U-turn from slightly leftfield soundscapes to simple pop songs. But then I gave it another listen and warmed to it a bit; "No More Good Ideas" is a quirky little ditty reminiscent of They Might Be Giants and "My Crooked Crown" is kind of touching. All things considered though I couldn't help but feel a little disappointed, not only at the change of direction but also, and more importantly, at the mediocre songs. - Narc |
