Tasmania is the eighth album from Pond. With Tame Impala’s Kevin Parker in the producer’s chair, the prolific Australian glam rockers carry on with the slicker sound they debuted on 2017’s The Weather.
Like many people, I came to Pond through Tame Impala, and like that band, Pond have moved away from their psych rock beginnings towards a glam-inflected take on electronica and R&B. Songs like “Hand Mouth Dancer” and “Goodnight P.C.C.” are slow burners that build up with layers of synth and drum machine. The 8-minute “Burnt Out Star” takes the you to outer space before crashing back to earth with its funky outro. Those songs pretty much set the tone for the album, which is immaculately produced, melancholic and spacey from start to finish.
Overall Tasmania is the most cohesive record they’ve done, but there are also fewer highlights than on The Weather, which had several songs that demanded to be played over and over. It’s is a solid effort from Pond, who, 10 years and eight albums into their run, have tightened and refined their sound into something both celestial and highly dancable.
Score: 🐸 🐸 🐸 /5
Justin is a lifelong music fan, having spent some of his best years behind the counter of a great record shop. A native New Englander, he’s lived in Colorado, New York City and is now based in Indianapolis with his wife and daughter.