A lovely day with relaxing prospects doesn’t tuck you in. Dumb Luck, the new album from indie pop collaborative, Moon Panda, picks up the listener, dusts them off, and prepares them for an adventure that goes beyond the incredible. The music provides the kind of soundtrack to a fantasy where colors and movement slow to a flicker that matches the low tempo space pop. The entire dream sequence lasts for a brief 31 minutes, leaving me wanting more, but if that’s my only complaint…it’s worth every second. 

Their entire catalog has become my favorite chill music, and this new record is of the highest quality. Dumb Luck is a most worthy addition, as Moon Panda’s efforts remain a consistent expression that the group has mastered the craft at hand. Through three records, there’s not a single song to skip over.

Dry toned lo-fi drums act as a foundation to this excursion through a series of good dreams. These drum sounds are crucial in attaining that overall chilled out vibe. It feels like something that conjures nostalgia without sounding dated. The drums are centered in the mix, and everything else considers direction for the ride, but I can’t downplay how much I appreciate the drum sounds.

Airy guitars, soft synths, and the audacious groove of the walk-along bass lines puts a spring in my step that reminds me of comfortable weather and friendship. The instrumental segway in the final third of The Light feels like a trek through the desert where one discovers horizons beyond the self. 

Dumb Luck spends a great deal of time exploring fantasy. Lyrics from a song titled Fantasy makes declarations of, “You and me running free/Don’t owe anybody anything/Escape this world with me/It doesn’t have to be a dream” and suggests this fantasy is within reach, a delicacy where most fantasy is too fantastic to attain, Moon Panda suggests something else and extends a hand to make it real. 

The sentiment from Avalanche, “Sometimes I just need a friend” seems as distant (yet relevant) as any need. My personal favorite expression on this theme comes in Space Elevator, “If you choose your fantasy/I hope you choose me” seems freeing when coupled with the concluding line of the chorus, “I can only go up.” This all seems to suggest that while it’s nice to be thought of, I’m on this trajectory…all of which circles back to the idea in the song Fantasy that it’s all actually within reach. 

The record concludes with a song on gratitude for our time together titled, Loveflow. Lines like, “Keep me in your head/I’m in so deep with the small things/Thank you for all of it” resonates with me. 

In spite of the weight and challenges explored in the lyrics, I feel nothing but the possibility of hope in the music. These songs bring me joy, and I hope they’ll do the same for you. Dumb Luck by Moon Panda is worth exploring. I may stay here a while.