the pond - when a song dies (GFP premiere)
There's a certain kind of magic that comes from hearing a song unlike any other you've heard before. 'when a song dies', the first single from the debut album from the pond carries such giddy-eyed enchantment, growing from an unkempt and delicate first minute into something gloriously heavy and cathartic, in ways that feel wholly idiosyncratic, a mind slowly unravelled.
the pond hail from Butte, Montana, arriving as a four-piece that collectively shape the songs of chief writer Jon Cardiello. Cardiello himself co-runs the excellent Anything Bagel label, who will release the forthcoming album alongside fellow DIY enthusiasts Wood of Heart (Japan), and Hidden Bay (France).
The full, forthcoming new album is called A Year As A Cloud, and 'when a song dies' is indicative of its charm: a rugged, rustic channelling of scorched Mt Eerie wisdoms and something altogether - occasionally - brighter 'n lighter. As the written intro puts it: "Painting small corners of everyday life, Cardiello finds meaning in the mundane, processing both his innermost self and the world around him. The songs display a radical intimacy as Cardiello touches on grieving his father’s death, the pains of a drawn out breakup, and the clarity of new love."
If the band feel fully at ease within these grandiose themes, it's because they've had practice. The project itself has actually been around for almost a decade, under the name Bombshell Nightlight, with their shift to the pond set to act as a brand new chapter.
With added shades of grey, a wavering edge that keeps us listeners right on the precipice, 'When a song dies' is a woozy, emotive burst of noise that only furthers the bristling anticipation of what the full-length album is likely to hold. Gnarly but flecked with earnest fragility, all ready to collapse at any moment, it's held together by communal strength, a beady eye trained to the horizon. And we're right there alongside them.
“This is a song I wrote in a songwriting class from Dave Benton (Trace Mountains). It's a song that fell out of me after sitting down at the piano...feeling like everything that I did was coming out sounding too bright or too corny. It is an attempt to grapple with life and death and the brevity and significance of artmaking while we are here.”
This is brilliant. Listen on GFP here and pre-order via Bandcamp.
