As mentioned in the Pitchfork review of Mi Media Naranja a few months back, Labradford's music has been becoming increasingly more cinematic with each album. Now with the release of Pan American's self- titled debut, I'm wondering how much of that can be attributed to the sounds created by Mark Nelson.

Pan American is Nelson's first official full- length solo record away from the band, and while it's a little less eerie than Mi Media Naranja, the underlying weirdness is still there. On tracks like the creepy- crawler opener, "Starts Friday," and the outer- spacey genius of "Lake Supplies," the tracks seem to been lifted straight out of an edge- of- the- seat moment in a low- budget sci-fi thriller.

Whereas Mi Media Naranja consisted of much straighter music compositions, Pan American is more rhythm- focused. Nelson experiments with dub and bossa nova drum patterns while also toying with hammer dulcimers, bongos and other- worldly soundscapes. The record jumps from one idea to the next, maintaining its incredible listenability while allowing the listener the option of indulging completely or merely letting it play as a relaxing backdrop to everyday life. Ultimately, this record can operate as a companion piece to Mi Media Naranja or stand as its own achievement. Either way, Nelson shows there's more to him than simply being 'that guy from Labradford.'

-Ryan Schreiber