Pond – Man It Feels Like Space Again

Space? SPACE? It feels bigger than that, Sonny Jim. After the… ooh, approximately five seconds it takes to notice the similarities between Perth popsters Pond and the all-conquering Tame Impala (in both style and personnel), this album stakes its own claim for immortality. It opens magnificently, as the sticky-eyed lullaby that introduces Waiting Around for Grace soon develops jet heels, leaping purposefully into glitterball disco and glowing among kaleidoscopic colours, adeptly underscoring a Phoenix-esque funk.

The oft-attached descriptor ‘psych’ doesn’t quite do justice to their neon rock classicism; this is vivid rather than ethereal; commanding rather than hypnotic. You might even be tempted to utter words like ‘futuristic’ when Elvis’ Flaming Star’s magnificent coda drenches itself under bleeping, shimmering waterfalls. Even at their most narcotic, however – certain woozy moments recall Mercury Rev’s stargazing wonder – it’s clear that Pond’s shining brilliance stems from the hips rather than the subconscious: simply perfect pop.