Bardo Pond | A Review of Their Self-Titled Album

Bardo Pond originated in Philadelphia, PA. in the early 90s and have made it to the eighth album mark with their first Self-Titled LP. For an eighth album this LP doesn’t feel stale at all, it has the tone of a freshmen work matched with the depth that can only come from seasoned musicians.  Some of the tracks devolve into a kind of free flowing melodic entity that never really goes anywhere but entrances the listener like a moth caught by the glow of a flame. The musical style of Bardo Pond leans heavily on a psychedelic rock influence. It seems that the band can’t get enough time to explore the musical interludes of some cuts from the album, such as the track Undone which spans a whopping 21 minutes. But these extended instrumental portions of the album that are stuffed with heavy droning guitars rattling out distorted riff after riff, lend to the album’s esoteric quality. The extended instrumental parts noticeable in this album might remind people of a relative newcomer to the psychedelic game, namely British Columbia’s Frog Eyes. They too do not shy away from the ever expanding sound.  The music just keeps going, interrupted only for the briefest of moments by delicately laid out lyrics provided by Isobel Sollenberger. Bardo Pond’s new album might prove that eight and not seven is really a lucky number. This is definitely one album to check out.