Hearing Pandr Eyez for the first time recently on Air France's FACT mix was slightly disarming. That's not to say that this is weird music. It's actually pretty accessible pop music, but something about their song "Little Bit" is hard to place. The pitch-perfect execution feels like something you should already know-- a producer retooling a forgotten acapella, maybe, or perhaps a radio cut from a new R&B singer. As it happens neither is exactly true: Pandr Eyez is the work of a London-based duo made up of producer Tom Lloyd and singer Ferren Gipson.
The story is that they met while living in a shared university dormitory then started exchanging musical ideas. Something about that enthusiasm and shared love of certain styles carries over into Pandr Eyez, giving the project an infectious, off-the-cuff energy. That, combined with the absence of samples or acapellas, makes Eyes on You feel both homespun and playful in execution, though perhaps a couple of steps away from *"*the real thing." That lingering feeling makes this seem like more of an outside-looking-in take on R&B, and it's tempting to compare it to the kind of thing jj went in for on their mixtape Kills, but this isn't anywhere near as drugged or sad-eyed.
"Little Bit" stands out from the rest of their material, with woozy synths and a shuffling beat pushing rhythms in all the right spots. Above that backdrop Gipson buries her verses in rap standards like "Didn't have too much when we started this game/ Now we're doing alright, check my diamonds and rings." But lines like those-- and others about brand new kicks, seeing her face on TV, and referencing 16 bars-- sound different coming from what is essentially a bedroom duo rather than guys like 8Ball and MJG. There's an element of dress-up to Gipson's lyrics, and a gooey soft center that isn't quite concealed by the fronting. (It's not a million miles away from the effect of Robyn on "Konichiwa Bitches".)
A lot of the success of these tracks is centered on feel-good vibes though and the impressive production-- handled by the other half of the duo, Tom Lloyd-- goes a long way toward making the record work so well. His beats are characterized by a dreamy feel thanks to the big, romantic synths on all of these tracks, but there's range to his production too. "Shinin'", for example cuts a contrast to the rest of the EP's softer palette gliding, instead, on a minimal, deep rumbling bass pattern and cheap sounding samples. It's a slightly harsh exterior, one that Gipson matches toe-to-toe with bravado. The track really takes off towards the end, though, as Lloyd grabs the spotlight, throwing all those cheap samples in the air and letting them drop around each other.
For all their individual nuance and personality, it's clear that the duo have hit a collaborative sweet-spot: Lloyd and Gipson play to each other's strengths and egg each other on at every turn. While there is plenty of recontextualizing rap and R&B going around, the fun of this record is that Pandr Eyez seem to understand that sometimes pop music is just about letting your hair down and singing along in whatever language you can.
