Bardo Pond are one of the most consistent bands within the experimental rock circle. Merging influences from psychedelic rock's earliest roots with the modern-day ardor of amplifier havoc, they're also one of the most unique groups. 20 years as a band and eight albums in, Bardo Pond stand as strong as they ever have. However, the title of their latest full-length, Bardo Pond, may seem like the sextet have undergone introspection.
If anything, the self-titled effort somewhat echoes the progression of 1997's Lapsed: the opener "Just Once" emits a seismic, major chord progression rippled by melodic shredding, while its successor "Don't Know About You" travels along a southern dirge. The comparison ceases there, though: the nearly formless "Undone"characterizes the band's increasing enthusiasm toward their sprawling counterparts, and the recent convergence between their tour-only CD series and studio albums.
Bardo Pond has a respiratory-like structure: it expands, contracts, increases its pulse and settles to recuperate-- yet retaining to a conservatively lumbering pace throughout. Across the over-an-hour trek, Bardo Pond are inclined to reel the listener into the narcotic groove. This rote is constantly addled by unease: the acoustic guitar melody on "Sleeping" remains unstable over the length and breadth of its eight minutes, whereas the apocalyptic "Cracker Wrist" abides to an agitated and raucous emergence.
This is the product of a salmagundi; among the numerous endeavors that they've indulged in, Bardo Pond have disseminated a select few of them across seven tracks. Rather than marking a redefining point in their career, Bardo Pond could be alluding to the idea of this as a prime example of their work; a gateway drug to the hallucinogenic catalog. Though I may disagree with that thought and refer to the classics (Lapsed, Amanita, Dilate), this latest output is certainly a reassuring return to form.
[Bardo Pond Myspace]
[Buy Bardo Pond from Fire Records]
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