Pond - Tasmania (Album Review)

Luscious walls of cascading synths coupled with pretentious lyrics about climate change and politics - this is my kind of album.

As far as execution of ideas go in music, I often find that artists end up releasing deeply lyrically important songs that just don't pack a punch as a result of a lack of interesting instrumentals or a lack of a good hook. They forget that, whilst the messages behind the music are important, enjoyment of the actual music is fundamental and without anything to latch onto the music will be forgotten and irrelevant. Take "This Is America", the explosion of a statement that took the world by storm last year. It may have been the staple of political music but without the visual element of its music video it undeniably lacked a certain quality or replay factor that resulted in it falling off of the charts much faster than it should have.

As far as execution of ideas go in "Tasmania", Pond manage to deliver gorgeous soundscapes that stand out enough on their own to make it a worthwhile album. They balance lyrical depth with musical depth and the result is a really enjoyable and quite immersive listening experience. Their political and socially inclined lyrics are a necessary aspect, covering topics we really need to stop ignoring and start addressing. Some of their best include "for the tribe, for the boys, for the lie" in "Daisy", that song itself being a bit of a facade. Initially to me it sounded a bit like a sweet ode to someone, whilst really it's talking about the corruption of causes and communities however large or small they may be. This is highlighted especially with second line that outlines religions, gaming and races without getting too weighted or overly full. That's another positive to Pond, they don't leave anything out but they also don't get bogged down with any unnecessary specific details that should be your beliefs and not theirs - they leave it open to interpretation but don't leave it open to misinterpretation.

So, you know exactly what the band are saying right from the opening track, but how does it develop throughout? Is it worth moving on from "Daisy"? Simple answer: Y E S
From what seems to be the toxic masculinity and classes commentary on "Sixteen Days", executed brilliantly with a very nostalgic dancy vibe and Daft Punk feel in the production and some of the instrumentation, to the outright criticisms on title track "Tasmania" with the climate change warnings and confrontational nature to those golden last lines "I left my phone in Sydney//cos all the stress outdid me//should I be worried bout my kidney//or worried bout the war".

Next on "The Boys Are Killing Me", the sentiment could definitely be applied to a few things but I mainly believe it to be a reference to child soldiers and employment of those working in any conditions, be it a dangerous mine or a treacherous sea voyage or anything else. I initially passed on this song but it's grown on me musically as I now appreciate those synth lines and how they pretty expertly pair with the vocals and flow. The bassline is also a high point and I view this as definitely necessary song to listen to. The same can be said of "Hand Mouth Dancer", a song that sings what we should all do to make the changes that are so overdue: "I didn't get political I just faced the facts". It also boasts one of the most danceable instrumentals that Pond has ever released, creating a unique and more upbeat vibe despite the quite sombre lyrics.

Unfortunately what follows is a slightly weaker, less lavish track entitled "Goodnight P.C.C". Whilst I enjoy the dark, smooth vibe I feel the melodies aren't strong enough to illustrate the point the band are going for and overall this becomes an underwhelming and sadly forgettable moment, despite some clever lyricisms and an initially intriguing theme. Following this is the eight-minute epic "Burnt out Star", the lead single that I wish I liked more. The problem is, however conceptually profound it may be the instrumentation just doesn't support it enough and it falls into the aforementioned trap of not retaining the enjoyment it brings on first listen, or even by the end of the song. I think the issue here is that the members of Pond are also in Tame Impala and were clearly endeavouring to make a single for the acclaim and appeal that "Let It Happen" got four years ago, only that song had some of the best glitch-infused synthetic psych-pop instrumentals ever whereas "Burnt out Star" just doesn't pack that same punch in any of those aspects. No, it's not bad but it serves as an example of how the execution was off and ruined what could have been a masterpiece.

Sadly, to an extend the next tracks "Selené" and "Shame" both fall into similar traps and are quite forgettable, the latter managing to capture a bit more of a sense of importance and relevance, unlike "Selené" which just feels awkward and unnecessary on an album striving for political significance and social relevance. In fact, the way that "Selené" is written reminds me of The 1975 on their latest album, specifically those songs that didn't work and didn't achieve what they tried so persistently to sell.

Lastly though, the closer "Doctor's In" may be shorter and the most lyrically abstract song but it serves its purpose and exceeds all expectations by delivering the best instrumental on the whole album. The imagery created through the lyrics and instrumentation play off each other in the best ways and this becomes a staple for Pond, at least for me.

In conclusion, I find this album to hit the hardest at the beginning and the end, undeniably getting lost in the middle and failing to achieve what it sets out to do. Yes, I enjoy the album overall but what really disappoints me is the difference in quality between some of the songs. In "Tasmania", the utopian last resort in our corrupt dystopian world, the quality should really be more consistent when selling this sort of music. It's an eye opening but not mind bending album, and that might be where it goes wrong. Still, I do really like a lot of the songs so I'll give it a solid 7 out of 10.

Best Songs:
Daisy, Sixteen Days, Tasmania, The Boys Are Killing Me, Hand Mouth Dancer, Doctor's In

Worst Song/s:
Burnt out Star, Selené

"Tasmania"

Pond

01/03/2019