Trip the Light: Fantastic EP

This album is further proof that we live in a time when all genres bleed, where the experimental indie rock of Panda Bear heavily borrows the music theory of '90s trance, two styles once thought to be in different hemispheres. TTL's Anthony Burchell adopts Panda Bear's dreamy, hypnotic post-EDM, but keeps it more electronic than rock and more brief than epic. Video game geeks will love Burchell's incorporation of game textures, including the chiptune melodies and static-soaked snares found in "Danzing" and the homage to '90s Japanese video game new age that is "Simple World." On the spiraling "I Cannot See" and the robo-reggae "End," Burchell's scratches a songwriting itch very carefully. In both cases, his vocal is buried in the mix, functioning mostly as just one more interesting sound on songs full of them. That said, the former's chorus smartly draws out its title in long notes, word painting Burchell's joy to be in a dream where nothing is clear. Meanwhile, listeners shouldn't feel repelled by Burchell's plunges into game geekery. This is still a contemplative, infectious, altogether romantic doc. Take it for a fall afternoon drive with a saucy passenger, hitting your destination just before sun down.

★★★ 1/2 (out of 5 stars)