Album Review: Good Luck And Do Your Best

Derwin Panda’s gorgeous third album was inspired by two trips to Japan, its title stemming from a Japanese taxi driver’s parting words to him. Not that any of that is apparent. What is obvious, however, is that Panda’s weird time signatures and unusual rhythms, all couched in the warmest of fuzzy electronica, make this perfect music to wake up to: chill out jams to soothe the brain and the soul.
There’s little resembling a standard ‘song’ here, as Derwin adds layers of sound that perhaps shouldn’t work together but most definitely do, creating the otherworldly but welcoming soundscape of ‘Metal Bird’ or the minimalist church organ of ‘Unthank’.
The gorgeous ‘In My Car’ is happy and clappy in the right way: there’s a distinct jazzy feel, but this is not the stuff of late night introspection, when you’re alone with a half-eaten kebab and a tin of warm lager, more that mid-evening-out moment when everything looks a bit twinkly and full of promise. ‘Chiba Nights’ continues the theme, as you take your first tentative steps onto the dance-floor.
Far from the mournful dirge you might expect, ‘Song For A Dead Friend’ is a super-fast, glitchy sample-fest that jets by, leaving the listener slack-jawed in its wake. Similarly, ‘Autumn Fall’, despite its title, makes for perfect summer listening, as washes of synths flow from your speakers.
‘Pink and Green’ and ‘I Am Real Punk’ are more subdued but no less lovely, before the reverie is broken by ‘Halyards’: it may have a four/four beat, but it’s no dancefloor stomper, thanks to the light brush strokes, pastoral sounds, and a bell-like sample that had this reviewer running for the front door time and again.
Derwin saves the best for last, with the sinuous organ sound of ‘Your Good Times Are Just Beginning’, which adds the most delicious trumpet to the mix: it feels exactly right, as if you’ve been waiting all album for the top brass to arrive. Languid, laid-back and lovely, this is the perfect summer soundtrack.
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Rating: 8/10