It seems to me that I am beginning almost every second review with the observation that many singers and bands are creating records bursting from dissatisfaction of the status quo. It’s like they woke up early to water their room-plant, but it’s 9pm. It’s always 9pm and the plant never gets enough Sun, so the plant becomes depressive. Needless to say, the plan it the music material.
Australian collective Pond is like a younger brother of Tame Impala. Recently, they have dropped their seventh studio release, and it manifests as a conceptual album. Nick Allbrook and co are focused on negative, grim and ghastly characteristics of the social context of their hometown Perth. In fact, they are castigating the whole Australia.
Throughout ten musically miscellaneous songs, themes of seclusion, drug abuse, violence, inequality, racism, global warming and nuclear weapon permeate and cut like the sharpest knife. The music shows the band in their most experimental venture. They are taking a big steps away from psychedelic 70s rock and walking towards a hybrid between prog-rock, pop and electronic.
The new album unfolds with lead single, the apocalyptic 30000 Megatons and untamed synth canon. Following synth-pop number Sweep Me Off My Feet delivers great falsetto performance by Allbrook. New wave from the 80s shines on Colder Than Ice, while A\B starts with garage fire and then it turns into a piano ballade. The record offers a conspicuous standout. Edge Of The World that is centered around the theme of contrast and alienation among people. Verses such as I don’t even recognize my own home, We’ve built our own layer of hell…And I feel like I’m estranged, It’s nothing like I planned it represent the sublimation of the authors thoughts and feelings regarding his hometown. Abundant trepidation and anger spread out from every word and tone.
If you are a fan of Tame Impala, then the new release by Pond might not be what you expect it to be. Even though they have taken a more dismal approach to lyrics and modified their primary music style, Pond still offers idiosyncrasy and sufficient intrigue to force you to play them on repeat.
