With a current gaze on the times we live in and a limitless amount of fantasy and exploration, POND have achieved something really rare and very real on their seventh studio album, The Weather.

For a psychband the first impression is that the record is surprisingly confronting. The usually so introverted nature of the music POND play has taken the introverted glance and turned it outwards, giving a unique reflection of the world we currently live in.

Opening with 30000 Megatons POND set an agenda from the start. The track, which surprisingly was released as a direct reaction against Donald Trump’s inauguration, has a stoic feel of resistance and sureness oddly mixed together in a grand matter.

The Weather is a psychedelic madness, immensely compelling and still so striking, even in the simplest of structural details. Still drawing in the spacious feel that lingered so heavily on their previous, Man It Feels Like Space Again, their current take shows a newfound awareness. The immortal lyrical gaze very clearly illustrates a vibrant shift in the band’s nature, though the still draws on the superb elements that are defining for POND.

Since forming in 2008, POND have been lauded for their raucous and unpredictable approach, intertwining psychedelic elements with punk and garage-rock to cease a truly unique sound.

The landscape of The Weather is a marvel and a mess. As one of the greatest musical explorations in a long time, the record is pushing musical boundaries. The expansive rock feel colliding with the lucid psychedelic streams gives a liquid sensation to the monumental tunes.

Colder Than Ice expands from a funky nature, giving in to both poppier and more surreal twists. With a slight 80’s nostalgia in the mix, it is a piercing tune in its own right.

POND draw out their own personal apocalypse over two tracks with Edge Of The World Pt.1 and 2. “Welcome to the dark” Nick sings. The anthem soars to dreamlike proportions, whereas the second part reflects a hazy solitude, constantly brooding on the line between dream and reality. The penultimate melody brings out a darkness, even in the lighter moments and the transparency between sound and lyrics captures.

Paint Me Silver has a blissful euphoric sense to it, with a solid hook and a fluid sense of continuity, the tune conveys a lofty feel for the listener to indulge. The continuously shifting nature of the album really takes in the entire horizon of creative inputs. Impulsive and with a cautious eye for even the tiniest detail, POND manage a very dual balance of liberation whilst keeping the intended control.

The synth-heavy Sweep Me Off My Feet reaches almost delirious proportions. Certain to sweep you off your feet, the ode to escapist naivety gives a compelling out-of-this-world feel. The dingy noise, striking bass foundation and palpable percussion comes together in making an immensely strong track, feeding of desperate escapism combined with intense musical quality.

Title track The Weather draws inspiration from the band’s hometown, Perth, and yet, it still feels like a very real track drawing out the essence of the album. The questioning nature of POND‘s latest offering seems very real in the light of the current state of the world, and the album is strikingly timely in its subject matter.

It’s time to stop looking at POND as Tame Impala’s spin off, and see them in their own right. With The Weather, the Aussie outfit reaches further than ever and delivers one of the most outstanding records of the year.