To call Mr. Impossible an accessible album would just not be accurate. However, in the catalog of Black Dice releases, it’s the band’s most audience-friendly record to date. Former releases tended to ignore all traditional conventions for song structure and composition, usually presenting disturbing and bizarre soundscapes. I’ve personally ignored Black Dice for years due to negative first impressions on each release. I was recently re-introduced to the group after seeing member Eric Copeland open up for Animal Collective’s Avery Tare. Animal Collective is one of my all-time favorites, but Copeland was much more engaging and memorable live. I instantly rediscovered the back catalog of Black Dice and his solo releases. I’m not sure if my musical pallet has changed, if I’m into more noise-based stuff now, or if Black Dice has met me halfway. Whatever the case may be, I’m officially addicted. While it’s not as masterful as Eric Copeland’s Waco Taco Combo solo effort, Mr. Impossible has been on repeat for a month now.
From the wonderfully distorted guitars and deformed vocals on opening track “Pinball Wizard” to the layered, anthemic, and indecipherable chorus on “The Jacker,” Mr. Impossible plays like a fun house of sounds liquified by a blender. First single and album standout “Pigs” may be the best track the band has ever released. The song builds from a surly main synth, monotonous beat, and disjointed verses by Copeland to a cacophony of noise. The track is ugly, and even repulsive at times, but the combination of the disfigured sounds work well as a whole. Mr. Impossible is not a record meant for family barbecues or leisurely Spring drives, but I guarantee it will make you forget about your shitty boss after a long day at work. This is one of the best releases of 2012.
Panda Bear follows up the all-time great Person Pitch, an effort that won him unanimous critical acclaim, with a moody, guitar-driven collection of hit-or-miss anthems. The album serves as a near-perfect soundtrack to the summer but doesn’t warrant the repeat listens of his former masterstroke. To be fair, practically nothing would. The pressure to follow up one of our generation’s most unique, creative, and addicting records was a task that even Noah Lennox was not going to be able to pull off.

