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Her Space Holiday
XOXO Panda, And the New Kid Revival
Mush Records
With XOXO, Panda and the New Kid Revival, Marc Bianchi, the man behind Her Space Holiday, does not have any plans to bore his fans with the same sound album after album.“Oh I love you so very much / So much in fact I’m gonna switch it up”, Bianchi proclaims on the single “Sleepy Tigers”.
The line most likely is directed at a love interest, but it rightly describes Bianchi’s music career. Bianchi has proven his love for music and his fans by dabbling in numerous genres. In the early 1990s, he was a part of the hardcore scene in the California bay area with bands Indian Summer and Mohinder. However, for the past 12 years, he has been most known for the fuzzy electronic-fused indie pop recorded as Her Space Holiday.
XOXO, Panda is just another name that Bianchi has taken on, and The New Kid Revival is a more organic and spirited movement. The Her Space Holiday from the albums The Young Machines (2003) and The Past Presents the Future (2005) is not found here.
The whispered secrets and confessions that made listeners blush with guilt are replaced with clear and joyful chants. Synthetic string arrangements and drum machines disappear as guitars, banjo, mandolin, glockenspiel, and tambourines take center stage.
While Bianchi’s voice still is distinct, he sings with much more ease and honesty. The lyrics remain personal and, like any other Her Space Holiday song, illustrate captivating stories and images.
The newly acquired sound helps keep Her Space Holiday fans on their toes, but it is not something that would be difficult to find elsewhere. The handclaps and folk sound of “No More Good Ideas” and “The Boys and Girls” are similar to The Shins and Port O’Brien. Yet, with those same handclaps, Bianchi taps into a kid’s carefree energy and overshadows any hesitation to enjoy the album and sing along.
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