JoeRayWMan it feels like space again. That’s what I and no doubt many other returning Pond fans were thinking on a late February night in Manchester, when Pond returned to play their new album. Probably because ‘Man It Feels Like Space Again’ is the title of the new album, but alas, that’s how one would think anyway when seeing a band a second, third or fourth time. It always feels like something again, but Pond’s new pop fronted direction led to a different gig from those that had been and gone.
Pond are a psychedelic rock band from Australia, providing a sound akin to hit bands such as The Flaming Lips, and Pink Floyd (dropping the big names here), but with their own specially blended persona of fun which blends pop and rock sensibilities with psychedelic synth drones to trance to.
In the past they’ve had mosh pit trip rockers, this time round it’s more pop, which created a completely different atmosphere to the crowd surfing and human mosh pit throw around of their earlier shows. Not that those elements were completely absent, as some of the older material pops up to create a nice variety of the old and new. Ears perk up when an old favourite is thrown to the crowd, and it provokes someone to attempt crowd surfing. Never forget your hits.
The new material feels more universal, more united. Everyone can get together, close their eyes, then let the sound of space steal their souls away. ‘Sitting Up On Our Crane’ was the showstopper of the night, causing everyone to fall under the band’s spell, thanks to the soft spoken mellow lyrics on the coming down from a high, and the final beautiful instrumental which could drone on forever and no one would care.
It feels Pond now have a library of songs suitable for everybody, without losing any of their character and distinct sound. We can all travel to the stars, and they’ll have an inflatable pink flamingo to sit at the cockpit.
They’re playing the Electric Picnic Festival in Ireland later this year, so be sure to catch the sound of space before they go and change things up again!