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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 |
| Marc Bianchi's Her Space Holiday has acquired many faces, styles, genres, rhythms, electronics, computers, drum machines, guitars, samples, vocals, synths, collaborations, labels, and formats over the 12 years he has been churning out antidotal music under this moniker. His latest and umpteenth release, XOXO Panda and the New Kid Revival, finds Bianchi treading similar waters as his discog, but gone are the lush/fabricated strings, dreamy soundscapes, and freakish lyrics of loneliness and suffering. Bianchi is, as perhaps the album title suggests, starting this so-called new kid revival and with that comes a record filled new but familiar sounds, a record that shall not dishearten longtime fans of Her Space -- it's good. It's good because Bianchi is a fine songwriter -- always has been -- and his more lighthearted approach to his idiosyncratic blend of bedroom pop comes off as very uplifting and positive. He is now accepting - not denying - love and everything it has to offer, and the music shows. It's good because Bianchi pays attention, as he always has, to rhythm. His songs have this undeniable flow to them, whether they are swarming with strings or a simple guitar and backbeat, the latter being the case throughout a majority of this album. It's good because Bianchi's voice is comforting, real, and not perfect. He sings more here, whereas he used to more talk/sing. This is a good thing. It's good because Bianchi has been doing this for 12 years for a reason. And it's good because Bianchi writes what is on his mind. So, with that, embrace his so-called new kid revival -- disappointment takes a backseat here. - 30 Music |
