The fourth solo outing from Panda Bear (aka Noah Lennox) is a change in direction and a continuation of the stylistics found on 2007’s “Person Pitch,” one of the most acclaimed albums of the last decade. Fans of Animal Collective, the experimental pop group Lennox is also a part of, as well as Panda Bear’s previous albums will probably find “Tomboy” to their liking.

On “Tomboy,” Lennox has tightened up his tracks. There are no 12-minute excursions like “Bro’s” on “Person Pitch;” the longest track here clocks in at just 6 minutes and 49 seconds. While many fans of “Person Pitch” fell in love with that album’s sprawling instrumentation and sampling, “Tomboy” is a much more cohesive affair not only in terms of structure but in content as well. Whereas “Person Pitch” had everything from Scott Walker samples to Indian tabla drums, Lennox sticks to a pattern of mellifluous vocals, muted electric guitars, and ambient keyboards on his newest disc.

“Tomboy” awards patient listeners; it takes more than a few listens before you start to appreciate what Lennox offers. Equally important is to press play with the right mindset. “Tomboy” is literally “mood music” and is best enjoyed in serene surroundings through headphones. The repetition of droning vocals and delayed beats is likely to transport listeners into a trance-like state.

The centrepiece on “Tomboy” is without question “Last Night at the Jetty,” a ballad with sweet vocal harmonies reminiscent of Beach Boys and sloshing guitars that sound like they were recorded underwater. The firecracker beat keeps the song from getting too saccharine. Although nothing quite reaches the soaring heights of “Last Night…” there are still plenty of tracks to cherry-pick for the IPod.

“You Can Count On Me” mixes yearning vocals and a big electronic beat to yield an emotional payoff. “Surfers Hymn” is exactly what it sounds like: an ode to the joys of surfing complete with sounds of cascading waves, electronic bleeps substituting for oil drums, and a joyous carefree chorus. Panda Bear can even create a song using only a single chord on “Scheherezade” which is basically one jazzy chord repeated over and over with Lennox’s haunting vocals swishing back and forth above it.

“Tomboy” is not without filler however. On “Friendship Bracelet,” Lennox employs a tremolo effect on both vocals and synths which leaves the listener dizzy after nearly six minutes of quivering. The drawn-out synths and utterly unintelligible lyrics of “Drone” demand too much of listeners while offering too little. On the whole, some listeners may find the production of the album unappealing; if you are not into densely layered sonic pop experiments with lots of reverb and effects, this album could potentially become annoying to listen to. But for those who can stomach the avant-garde production, “Tomboy” may be the perfect soundtrack to the quiet moments of the coming summer.

3 out of 5 Seahawks.