Pond Return With 'Man It Feels Like Space Again'

The Australian psych band Pond release their sixth album ‘Man It Feels Like Space Again’ and it sure is spacey.

The last few years have been an absolute treat for Psych lovers, seeing bands like Tame Impala (cousins of Pond) actually break into the charts with their sixties reminiscent tracks. It’s been a beautiful thing to see the continual pushing of boundaries and pigeon holes in terms of combining different styles in sound. Pond are a prime example of trying out, this, that and everything, but keeping a Pond distinctive style the whole time.

This year we are excited to hear what the psychedelic space rock group have in store for us with their sixth album release ‘Man It Feels Like Space Again, released on Caroline Records. It’s usually a surprise to hear what Pond have waiting for us and it sure is a surprise this time around.

Since the day Pond were born it seems their albums have always been growers – of course not for all, but for me they have been. Some songs are instantly something you’ve got on repeat, and others take a while to be fully grasped. With this album, there is quite a lot going on, from Rock to Acoustic Folk, Pop to Funk, Glam-Rock and then other sounds that are distinctively just ‘Pond’. There is a lot more synth in this album to previous ones, a lot more sass, and lots more dreamscape MGMT-esque moments.

At times this album is utterly glorious; it is smooth and orgasmic and apocalyptic at the same time. Other moments have your thoughts bobbing about rather than your booty, but that’s ok - it’s very intriguing in all it’s twists and turns. Certain tracks like ‘Holding Out For You’ almost feel like a drugged up lullaby that has been pitch-shifted slightly - again this can be a good thing at times and others you wonder if the band were insanely tired and stoned when creating it. But hey man, anything goes in Spacey Pondland though.

Stand out tracks such as ‘Elvis’ Flaming Star’, ‘Zond’, ‘Sitting Up On Our Crane’ and ‘Outside Is The Right Side’ are heavy in catchy hooks, crescendos and other-worldly universes of visual and audible splendour. It reminds you of the wonderful talent that is Pond -  an unstoppable entity from another planet who one must remember, are wonderfully rooted human beings even though their music is god damn nuts, so their progression in sound, is and always will be a natural one without conformity to any rules or what society or fans demand of them.

There is a ton of beauty in this album, it just floats in and out of a bucket-load of moods, genres and time signatures. In the most part though it is fan-fuckin-tastic.

*** Please note this album should be listened to with brain-blasting levels of bass, and it also wouldn't hurt you to slip on your silk nighty and sip on some alcopops, just for the hell of it.***

Click here to order your copy of Man It Feels Like Space Again on Vinyl.

Click here to download your copy of Man It Feels Like Space Again.

Click here to buy tickets to go and see something you will remember forever.

Words by Jo Wells

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