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MH-041 Her Space Holiday - Sleepy Tigers  Sleepy Tigers is the lead off single from Her Space Holiday’s upcoming full-length, XOXO, Panda And The New Kid Revival. In addition to the title track, three new compositions are included on the release. These tracks are not outtakes or throwaways from the recording of the full-length, but are in fact fully realized works completed in a fit of inspiration as the single was being compiled. For longtime fans of Her Space Holiday, those anxious to hear the new creative direction taken on XOXO, Panda And The New Kid Revival, or new listeners yet to discover what makes Her Space Holiday one of Mush’s most beloved acts, Sleepy Tigers is the perfect preview of what’s to come. |
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| Reviews Summary |
| Marc Bianchi is a simple pop mastermind - Absolute Punk / Amazing music - Better Propaganda / Airy, pleasant and a proper midpoint between twee pop and freak folk - Three Imaginary Girls |
| Reviews | |
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| Aside from boasting a remarkably unwieldy title, XOXO, Panda And The New Kid Revival is notable in another regard too. It finds Marc Bianchi ditching the laptop and various electronic trappings, that made his name, and instead scooping up an acoustic guitar. And, it would seem, toy pianos, glockenspiels, mandolins and anything else capable of producing a sound of even a vaguely chirpy nature. The inspiration behind this sudden change of direction seems to lie with his recently penned kids book and the net result of such a source proves rather predictable. A childlike brand of folk-pop is presented, all cheerful melodies, saccharine harmonies and songs about being a “busy bee.” Of course, such overblown cuddliness can often teeter easily into the realms of the irritating, but on tracks like "The World Will Deem Us Dangerous," with its almost stadium-rock aping chorus, Bianchi justifies such sugary sweetness. That he fails to conquer such heights on a more regular basis over the record’s, rather unnecessary, 14-track length proves the more immediate issue. There seems to be a serious lack of believable emotion, with the wide-eyed stylings of much of the album surprisingly lacking in charm, instead often merely revelling in a borderline chronic lack of substance. Nowhere is this more apparent than in Bianchi’s throwing of a series of handclaps and “ooh-oohs” behind lines such as “laughing like two little kids / sitting in the back of class / only thing that’s on my mind / is how to make this last.” Such antics would be tolerable up to a point but, unfortunately, this is a formula the listener quickly becomes very familiar with during the course of the 50-minute LP. Aside from the grubby riffs that can be found on "Four Tapping Shoes And A Kiss," much of the other material on display here finds itself veering dangerously close to the inane, although admittedly without once lacking a certain free-spirited confidence. True, those hungry for a serving of unrelentingly chirpy pop will no doubt find plenty to enjoy here, with Bianchi’s tales of puppy love and, seemingly, infinite supplies of earnestness attractive propositions. However, the vast majority will be desperate for some respite from the rather staid and cookie-cutter stereotype of the mythical 50s childhood ideal that seems to transfix much of the record. That such a cutesy release should suffer so severely from this absence of soul is especially surprising, and XOXO, Panda And The New Kid Revival suffers noticeably from not just this flaw, but many others too. - Sonic Dice |
