POND Moth Wings

Everyone knows about the psychedelic lads from Tame Impala, but do you know about their other band, POND? Originally formed "to be able to get anyone they wanted to play whatever, whenever, in a completely ego free kind of trip all under the big obligation-less blanket of POND," the collective have recently released their fourth album, Beards, Wives, Denim. The Tame Impala members of the band all play different instruments just to rub in their ridiculous talents.

Beard, Wives, Denim commenced in 2010 at a friend's farmhouse in remote Western Australia. Recording took two weeks, before the album was completed back in Perth. Rave reviews have followed, and a recent stint at this year's SXSW in Austin has only boosted their status.

Opening track "Fantastic Explosion of Time" gets the album going with a bang. Driving and powerful, there are all the elements of a great psych-pop song, from reverbed vocals to wailing guitar riffs. Single "Moth Wings" is a funky celebration of the 70s, pure fun, with lead singer Nick Allbrook's shrill vocals drifting over layers of heavy bass. Their similarities to MGMT (pre Congratulations of course) abound, especially on the organ infused "Allergies" and "You Broke My Cool." "Eye Pattern Blindness" builds slowly before dramatically exploding, only to pull back again, perhaps one of the more epic tracks on the album.

Many of the new-wave of psychedelic bands have attempted to reinvigorate the genre, and most have failed. POND are not one of those bands. Part of their success could be attributed to the fact that they don't seem to take themselves too seriously, but perhaps it's just because they're incredibly talented. Whatever it is, Beards, Wives, Denim is an excellent album, while at the same time being a whole lot of fun.