ALBUM REVIEW: "The Weather" by Pond

Pond have the unfortunate fortune of being constantly compared to Tame Impala, and not just because of the fact they share members; for many people they are the only two bands they're aware of that deal in the kind of 70s-inspired psych-rock that makes you think, "I wonder what this would sound like if you were stoned?" While this comparison is very understandable and can work in ways beneficial for Pond, I have always felt that Pond feel like more of a "band" than Tame Impala. Where Tame Impala is Kevin Parker's project with other musicians making up the live performance, Pond feels a lot more cohesive in that sense. Pond and Tame Impala have both changed and evolved, but while Kevin Parker went full disco on Currents, Pond have maintained a strong grounding in psychedelic rock while dipping into trippy synths and some of the other elements Parker brought into Tame Impala's sound on Currents. For this reason I maintain that Pond are the superior band, and they prove it here on The Weather. Lyrically Pond have also always been more interesting, and The Weather descends into darker, more emotionally layered territory than has ever been scaled on a Tame Impala record. My biggest problem here is the production; like most records in this genre the vocals are soaked in reverb and blended right into the mix, and this has never been something I am fond of. The drums are also characteristically flat, and the bass is missing the presence it needs on the low end. Despite my gripes with the way these types of records are produced, The Weather is still successful in providing dizzying spirals into confusing, kaleidoscopic head trips, though, and I imagine that the live setting is where these ambitious songs would really come into their own. The Weather is a solid album from a very solid band, but the pitfalls of a sometimes oversaturated genre do tend to come into play a fair bit. Pond have still to reach the heights of what they have hinted at more and more over their career.

Favourite Songs: 30000 Megatons, Edge of the World Pt. 2, and Zen Automation

Least Favourite Song: Colder Than Ice

Rating: C+

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