Aaron Maine, known as Porches, released his second album Pool. After his debut in 2013, this album serves as a turning point in his career. Not only that the production is different, but the sound is slower and less inventive. Aaron gave alter ego to his girlfriend Greta Kline (Frankie Cosmos), and he plays drums in her band. She plays bass for Porches. Interesting connection between the two reflects in their work. Lyrics are full of love references.
Pool is full of indie pop ballades. Sometimes, they sound like a sleazy lemonade. The first album was stronger in a sense of expression. Pool is full of slow tempo songs. None of them is standing out. Everything is about potential dreaming and boredom. We have heard it all before, which wouldn’t be a problem If Porches offered interesting interpretation or anything fresh. Every track sounds like the previous one. Singing about love and influence of relationship on character building is getting boring.
For example, I want to be apart of it all in the song Be Apart is about loneliness and involvement. I don’t know, maybe it’s me but I think this theme was told so many times before. I love melancholy, but this doesn’t have a self-criticism in it. Everything is put into a vocal on the edge of lamentation and despair. Ewen The Shadow made me pause the record for a while.
Pool is another pathetic song where I didn’t notice sincere desperation. Track tries too hard to be dreamy pop. Lyrics is just fake. The only meaningful track is Glow. The is solid; the sound is more light. Also, Car sounds like it came from the first album.
To summarize – Pool is another non-inventive indie pop release that can not be compared to the debut. If a train leaves New York going 70km\h and another train leaves San Francisco going 80\h when does this album become thrilling? Never!
