Pond is a band with as much biodiversity as their homeland of Australia. Composed of some Tame Impala members, and with a constant flow of bandmates, this collaboration band has a lot of unique individuals fueling the band’s seemingly constant release of albums. Man It Feels Like Space Again is Pond’s sixth and latest album. Spoiler alert, it’s fantastic.
“Waiting Around For Grace” gets the ball rolling. Starting off sweeping and dreamy, the song is an initial ballad that explodes into a psychedelic rock jam. Midway through the song, things calm down momentarily and then bounce back. It’s like traveling back in time; there’s something really nostalgic about the entire atmosphere of the song, it’s pretty groovy. By the time the album inches it’s way to the third track, “Holding Out For You,” the band manages to calm down things a little bit. Acoustic guitars ring out with chords in the background, synth supporting them all the way. A little electric riff holds your attention and takes turns with the vocals. The song builds in texture towards the end, and then fades out. Absolutely lovely.
From this point, the next few songs take on their own independent vibes, “Zond” being high energy, “Heroic Shart” ending with an appropriate burst of noise, and “Sitting Up On Our Crane” balancing the albums more mellow side and more energetic side. From song to song, Man It Feels Like Space Again really pushes out some great tunes but the real magic seems to happen in the last third of the album.
“Outside Is The Right Side” is half throwback to funk, half Pond ingenuity. Parliament would be proud. The song seemingly bounces between two general moods. On one hand, the chorus pushes a funktastic groove with some slick sounding guitars. On the other hand, we have that familiar psychedelic jam. The song is an absolute gem. As the album transitions into “Medicine Hat,” things become a bit mellowed out again. A melancholic feel settles in the air. The closing guitar gets right to the heart. It’s pretty rad but pretty sad feeling too. Maybe if only because the albums coming to an end.
Truthfully, there’s nothing really bad to say about Pond’s latest album. It’s really wonderful. Not a masterpiece, but definitely wonderful. Pond’s Man It Feels Like Space Again is pretty incomparable to anything else out there. The album successfully defies typical genre borders and what’s to be expected; while simultaneously going full force on the creativity. The synths, the vocals, the guitar, all of it is fantastic. Best of all, Pond knows well enough not to take themselves too seriously, making their music that much more digestible. Dreamy and just really far out there soundscapes mixed with a hint of nostalgia for the 60’s really makes it feel like space, again. This is an album nobody should miss –it’s just that good.
Rating: 8.5/10
Buy: iTunes
