Broad range of folk, blues, and adult-alternative pop and soul

Who is Joshua Panda? A North Carolinian old-timey songster, a folkie troubadour or a suspender-wearing vaudevillian who brings to mind Leon Redbone, John Sebastian, Donovan and Paul McCartney? Yes. Perhaps he’s an adult-alternative pop-soul singer in the vein of John Meyer, John Legend, Van Morrison and Dave Matthews? Well, yes again. Panda sings acoustic folk songs with a piercing vocal purity that recalls Phil Ochs, but also arranges himself amid fully contemporary productions. His debut album of eleven originals is a one-man shuffle through an eclectic collection of music hall ditties, soulful slow-jams, acoustic ballads, bouncy blues, thick modern rock, and chamber pop. He sings sunny day reveries, forlorn country farewells and smooth love songs, often leaning on a contemporary blend of pop, blues and soul. The split between roots and smooth soul is a bit disconcerting, but roots listeners will really enjoy the old-timey “Balloon Song,” the acoustic “Vineyard Love Song” and “Over My Head,” the pedal steel laced “Crazy ‘Bout Rue,” and the bluesy “Buttermilk Hollar.” [©2010 hyperbolium dot com]

MP3 | If I Had a Balloon
MP3 | Vineyard Love Song
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