In the short span of three years, Panther has not only doubled its membership, moving from being a solo venture by Charlie Salas-Humara to a duo with drummer Joe Kelly, but the group’s sound has expanded with it. Salas-Humara began with the twitchy, gravelly electro that marked 2007’s Secret Lawns and moved to a fuller, more funky sound on the band’s second album 14 Kt. God that incorporated New Orleans-style rhythms and dub.
The evolution of Panther has not stopped there with the release of their third full-length, Entropy. This time around, the duo stripped away the deep grooves that gave Salas-Humara every reason to shimmy and slide through their live sets. In their place are more syncopated beats and slightly psychedelic touches, inspired by Salas-Humara’s love of German rock from the ’70s and his decision to write many of the songs starting on piano. That instrument provides the core of Entropy’s being. It’s sparkling tones give a spritely jangle to tracks like “Control Yr Ships” and “Seance”, while coloring the background of the driving “Birds That Move” (which also features some ripping guitar work by Salas-Humara).
It’s surprising how natural this new direction feels. Just as the injection of Kelly’s precise and fluid drumming into the mix helped open up the band’s sound considerably on album #2, this introduction of new instrumental motifs into the mix has only helped inspire Salas-Humara to create songs that feel intricately constructed and effortless in equal measure.
