I fell for Panda Su in a big way earlier this year when I witnessed them opening for We Were Promised Jetpacks. After several intense, gorgeous shows this debut EP confirms Su and her cohorts as one of the most promising new bands around at the moment. The four songs on this recording are beguiling and haunting, catchy and unsettling in almost equal measures with an uncanny knack of worming their way into your psyche. Produced in collaboration with sometime Beta Band/King Biscuit Time member Steve Mason, Sticks And Bricks is a perfect package to introduce the talents of Panda Su to new listeners. Each song is a gentle, textured thing full of subtle flourishes and enchanting melodies topped off by Su’s distinctive, lovely voice. There are elements of folk, electronica and pop in here, occasionally reminding me of the brilliant Cat Power but ultimately Panda Su have their own original and compelling sound.
Opening song ‘Eric Is Dead’ starts with a simple drum pattern and plucked guitar note before the vocal comes in. It’s a subtle, moving song full of references to growing up, the loss of innocence and the struggle to return to less cynical ways of being as Su sings
Count your needs
And I’ll count mine
We’ll settle them in time.
The song has a lovely structure, moving along gently before dropping off with some sampled movie dialogue before building up into a dreamy, almost psychedelic ending with echo-laden vocals and melodica added to the mix giving it a glorious, slightly other-worldly feel. ‘Pot Kettle Black’ initially has a reflective, restrained feel as Su sings ‘Oh oh / It seems I’m just as dumb as the others’. Then the bass and drums kick in giving the song a lilting uplifting feel. A deliciously bittersweet song, ‘Pot Kettle Black’ slowly builds up, in parts hypnotic and gentle, at others subtly shifting shape and direction to create a compelling song full of hidden depths. Panda’s may seem cute and cuddly but they can also be deadly and the lyrics have a hard edge to them as they describe a careless, callous lover who is now with ‘another whore’.
‘Moviegoer’ has a darker feel with its lyrical imagery of conflict being off-set by another gorgeous tune with keyboards and glockenspiel adding to the guitar and percussion in a beautiful manner. There’s a defiant tone to the lyrics and delivery even when Su sings ‘The problem with myself is / That I long to be someone else’ the song is never solipsistic or self-indulgent. I love the way the song incorporates lot’s of tiny details to devastating effect and the end with the multiple vocals is a sheer delight which always moves me live and on this record. “My Sorry Little Heart’ starts of very serenely with the sound of birdsong and an acoustic guitar refrain. Initially it’s the most straightforward song on the EP, mainly Su, an acoustic guitar and some light percussion with some great picked guitar and percussion adding to the atmosphere before keyboards and effects give it a spacey feel with backing vocals coming at you from different speakers. Finally, after almost 6 minutes of silence there’s a treat / fright (depending on whether you’d been forewarned) in the shape of a different version of ‘Eric Is Dead’. This time it begins with some spooky electronics ebbing and flowing in repetitive waves then a pattering drum beat and disconnected voice before the song drifts in. The result is pretty fantastic, less of a remix than an almost entirely different version.
I thoroughly adore this EP with its gorgeous mix of sounds and textures. Each song keeps revealing additional levels while remaining catchy and endearing, initially sounding very simple and sparse but full of verve and imagination. A brilliant debut.