| Hey Panda | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 29 March 2024 | |||
| Length | 39:50 | |||
| Label | Drag City | |||
| The High Llamas chronology | ||||
| ||||
Hey Panda is the eleventh studio album by the Anglo-Irish avant-pop band the High Llamas, released on 29 March 2024 through Drag City. It is the band's first album in eight years, since the release of Here Come the Rattling Trees in 2016.
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 89/100 [1] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [2] |
| Mojo | [3] |
| MusicOMH | [4] |
| Uncut | 9/10 [5] |
Hey Panda received a score of 89 out of 100 on review aggregator Metacritic based on five critics' reviews, indicating "universal acclaim". [1] Uncut called it "beautifully now", [5] while Mojo wrote that it "may seem whimsical at first, but its depth is all the grander for the work it takes to mine its many gems". [3] MusicOMH 's Steven Johnson stated that Hey Panda "reinforces the view that O'Hagan is a special composer and bandleader of note. It sees him push himself creatively further than he's ever done to date, delivering a unique, fascinating, compelling album in the process". [4]
Ryan Dillon of Glide Magazine felt that "these twelve songs carry the weight of time as it feels like we are reintroduced to the band despite their storied tenure as pop's most unpredictable offering strikes again with ambitious concepts executed to the highest order". [6]
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Hey Panda" | 3:32 |
| 2. | "Fall Off the Mountain" | 2:41 |
| 3. | "Bade Amey" | 3:04 |
| 4. | "Sisters Friends" (featuring Rae Morris) | 3:24 |
| 5. | "How the Best Was Won" (featuring Bonnie "Prince" Billy) | 2:59 |
| 6. | "The Grade" | 3:09 |
| 7. | "Yoga Goat" | 2:53 |
| 8. | "Stone Cold Slow" | 3:16 |
| 9. | "Toriafan" | 3:21 |
| 10. | "Hungriest Man" (featuring Bonnie "Prince" Billy) | 5:01 |
| 11. | "The Water Moves" | 2:48 |
| 12. | "La Masse" (featuring Fryars) | 3:42 |
| Total length: | 39:50 | |
| Chart (2024) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Album Downloads (OCC) [7] | 64 |
Sean O'Hagan is an Irish singer and songwriter who leads the avant-pop band the High Llamas, which he founded in 1992. He is also known for being one half of the songwriting duo in Microdisney and for his work during the early 1990s with the English-French band Stereolab.
The Bravery is the debut studio album by American rock band the Bravery, released on March 14, 2005, by Island Records. It peaked at number 18 on the US Billboard 200 and number 5 on the UK Albums Chart.
Intriguer is the sixth studio album by rock group Crowded House, released on 11 June 2010. It is the band's follow-up to the group's 2007 reunion album Time on Earth. The first single for the album, "Saturday Sun", was released to radio and the video clip released to the internet in April 2010.
Fire Away is the fifth studio album by American band Ozomatli. It was released on April 20, 2010, through Downtown Music. Production was handled by Tony Berg. The album peaked at number 189 on the Billboard 200 and number 31 on the Independent Albums chart in the United States.
Hippopotamus is the 23rd studio album by American rock group Sparks. It was released on September 8, 2017, through BMG Rights Management and The End Records, their first record issued on a major label for decades.
The Weight of the Sun is the third studio album by Scottish chamber pop band Modern Studies, released on 8 May 2020 by Fire Records.
Old Flowers is the seventh studio album by American singer-songwriter Courtney Marie Andrews. It was released on July 24, 2020, via Fat Possum Records.
Endless Arcade is the eleventh full studio album by Scottish band Teenage Fanclub. Released on 30 April 2021, it is the band's first record since the departure of co-founder Gerard Love in late 2018 and their first with former Gorky's Zygotic Mynci member Euros Childs. The album's title comes from co-founder Raymond McGinley's song of the same name, with McGinley envisioning an endless arcade as "a city that you can wander through, with a sense of mystery, an imaginary one that goes on forever. When it came to choosing an album title, it seemed to have something for this collection of songs."
Distractions is the thirteenth studio album by English alternative rock band Tindersticks. It was released on 19 February 2021 by City Slang.
You Belong There is the debut studio album by American singer-songwriter Daniel Rossen, released on April 8, 2022, by Warp Records. The album was announced on January 20, 2022 and was supported by two singles.
Into the Blue is the third studio album by American indie rock duo Broken Bells. It was released October 7, 2022, through AWAL.
Wait Til I Get Over is the first solo studio album by American musician Durand Jones, released on May 5, 2023, through Dead Oceans. It follows three albums by Jones as the singer of the group Durand Jones & The Indications, and is themed around his hometown in Louisiana. The album received acclaim from critics and charted in the top 40 in Scotland.
Nothing Lasts Forever is the twelfth full studio album by Scottish band Teenage Fanclub, released on 22 September 2023 through PeMa in Europe and Merge Records in North America. It received positive reviews from critics.
Cousin is the thirteenth studio album from American indie rock band Wilco, released on September 29, 2023 through dBpm Records. The album was produced by Cate Le Bon, representing the first time the band used an outside producer in over a decade since 2009's Wilco , and was preceded by two singles: "Evicted" and the title track. The album has received positive reviews from critics.
Chronicles of a Diamond is the second studio album by American band Black Pumas, released on October 27, 2023, through ATO Records. It was produced by group member Adrian Quesada, co-produced by fellow member Eric Burton and John Congleton, and mixed by Shawn Everett. The album was preceded by the lead single "More Than a Love Song".
Accompany is the fifth solo studio album by American singer-songwriter Michael Nau, released on December 8, 2023, through Karma Chief Records. It received acclaim from critics.
Ilion is the third studio album by French progressive rock band Slift, released on 19 January 2024 through Sub Pop. It received acclaim from critics.
Rockmaker is the twelfth studio album by American alternative rock band the Dandy Warhols, released through Sunset Blvd Records and Beat the World on March 15, 2024. It marks their return to rock music after the over three-hour-long experimental album Tafelmuzik Means More When You're Alone (2020). The album includes guest appearances from Frank Black, Slash, and Debbie Harry. It received positive reviews from critics.
Plunge is the fourth studio album by American singer-songwriter Sam Evian, released on March 22, 2024, through Flying Cloud Recordings and Thirty Tigers. It received positive reviews from critics.
Interplay is the seventh studio album by English rock band Ride, released on 29 March 2024 through Wichita Recordings. It was written and recorded during the COVID-19 pandemic, and produced by the band and Richie Kennedy. The album received positive reviews from critics.