I promised myself that I’d prioritise Albums over EP’s this year, and with new long plays from the likes of Highasakite, Aurora, Spring Teeth and more, I’ve got plenty to cover this week, but a new Pom Poko EP is definitely worthy of a mention, given they are genuinely one of my favourite bands - and having written about them since they debuted in 2017.
The new EP came somewhat of a surprise, given they only released their 2nd album ’Cheater‘ last year. Since then they’ve continued to tour extensively (where possible), they‘re currently in the UK, due to head to USA and then they’re back in the UK this April - I genuinely hope they don’t burn themselves out.
They’ve been explaining more about the new release: “This EP is both an afterthought and a peek into the future for us. We are combining new recordings of old songs, old recordings of old songs and new recordings of new songs on it, and it’s kind of a demonstration of all the different identities we feel that Pom Poko can have; hammering fuzz-rock grooves, soft and yearning melodies and deconstructed noisy explorations”.
Okay, so it’s just a bit of everything, and it opens with the band in slightly softer mood, ‘Enduro Corner’ inspired after an evening in Italy watching the film Free Solo, but it’s ‘Time’ that‘s the absolute highlight, twisting, complex, and with a quite marvellous blend of raucous guitar noise and tantalising playful vocals, that ends with blistering instrumental racket.
‘Our House’ opens with a wild cacophony of guitars and drums, before wistful dreamy and innocent sounding vocals takeover, only interrupted by another inevitable barrage of noise, before they conclude with the outrageously clever and really beautiful ‘Sonatina’, a cover of Bach’s composition from Actus Tragicus.
Really great fun, with plenty to still discover after multiple listens, ‘This is Our House’ is a lovely bonus addition to the Pom Poko catalogue, and they continue to tread their own unique path with their warped perspective of pop, rock, jazz and musical mathematics. Can‘t wait to see them in Stoke, of all places.
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