Pom Poko – ‘Champion’ album review: an ode to one another
THE SKINNY: If you manage to stick it out as a band for long enough, through hungover practices and unproductive writing sessions, through sleepless nights on tour and grotty green rooms, through poorly attended shows and poorly received records, you just might forge some of the closest friendships of your lifetime. This fact is not lost on Pom Poko, whose latest record serves as an ode to their time spent together and to the music and memories forged as a result.
Pom Poko didn’t watch each other grow up in the traditional sense. They met at college and formed a band around eight years ago, meaning they weren’t necessarily around for each other’s first steps or kisses. Instead, Champion reflects on the later years, the changes you experience during your 20s, and friendships forged drunkenly around dartboards that turn into dependable dinner party guests.
The lyrics indulge in their friendship, in tales of found family and youthful reflection. Tonally, they retain that spunk that Pom Poko have become known for, but they’re imbued with a new heart and honesty. They push us to savour those moments, soon-to-be memories, while we’re still in them on tracks like ‘Go’. It’s a record that makes it abundantly clear how much this band care for and cherish one another.
At times, Champion can feel like it leans on this charm a little too much. Certain songs fail to push the band forward sonically. ‘Never Saw It Coming’ is a fairly straightforward guitar tune, while ‘My Family’ pulls in pop-punk stylings that may leave some listeners cringing, though it’s perfectly suited to the angsty, youthful feeling. But there are glimpses of something greater, of industrial, metallic sounds and indecisive riffs. ‘Big Life’ is a particular highlight, integrating noise into Pom Poko’s usual playful sound.
For fans of: Still holding onto the traffic cone you brought back to your halls of residence on a first-year night out, even though you graduated seven years ago.
A concluding comment from Pom Poko, eight years ago: “Really?”
Champion track by track:
Release date: August 16th | Producer: Pom Poko | Label: Bella Union
‘Growing Story’: Pom Poko kick things off with a hearty dose of nostalgia. ‘Growing Story’ charts ageing through the replacement of dive bars with dinner parties, longing for the drunken freedom of youth. But there’s also a sense of gratitude for the current moment, for the ever-increasing familiarity of those around the dinner table. [3/5]
‘My Family’: ‘My Family’ deals with slightly more strained relationships, a thematic focus that is reflected in angsty, pop-punk-style instrumentals. Repeated, jubilant refrains of “This is my family!” are spliced between weightier lines, as vocalist Ragnhild Fangel admits, “I can’t be without you, I cannot be for you.” If you ever had a Green Day phase, this one’s for you. [3/5]
‘Champion’: Pom Poko quickly pull back on their pop-punk leanings for the titular track, as if conscious they might turn away loyal fans. ‘Champion’ is much calmer and cooler without compromising on that nostalgic feeling. “Squeeze your feet into a boot,” Ragnhild urges, “Hold onto your youth.” [3.5/5]
‘You’re Not Helping’: ‘You’re Not Helping’ is bouncy and playful, utilising moments of silence and guitar screeches to create a soundscape just as spunky as Ragnhild’s lyrics. “You’re refusing any help, but I can never prove it,” she sings amidst stopping and starting instrumentation. [3/5]
‘Pile Of Wood’: For just under a minute, ‘Pile Of Wood’ pushes Ragnhild’s vocals to the forefront, allowing them the space to swing high and low at will. Then, all of a sudden, they become harsh and spiky as she repeatedly declares, “I want to scream, do you want to?”. [3.5/5]
‘Bell’: The record continues to flit between chaotic and calm, deciding on the latter for ‘Bell’. There’s a serenity as the record reaches its midpoint, as Ragnhild’s voice settles into a gentle sway and the instrumentation finds a new warmth. ‘Bell’ feels like one of the few songs on Champion that takes its time, unhurried in its reflection. [3.5/5]
‘Go’: But Pom Poko can’t sit still for too long. They harness more raucous, rapid energy as Raghnhild urges us to take the job, to change our minds about it, to run away with her, to go. Placed amidst more pensive reflections on the ephemerality of youth, it’s a reminder to grab the opportunities and experiences you’re presented with while you still can. [3.5/5]
‘Never Saw It Coming’: If one of those experiences you’re presented with is a party, Ragnhild kindly requests your +1 spot. [3/5]
‘Druid, Fox and Dragon’: Those gritty, sparse guitars return at the opening to ‘Druid, Fox and Dragon’, but they’re always offset by the sweetness of Pom Poko’s vocalist. There’s almost a Fear of Music feeling to the metallic scraping sounds that underscore this tune, though they’re often taken over by more playful Pom Poko riffs. [3/5]
‘Big Life’: There’s more of that industrial sound on ‘Big Life’, which begins with screeching noise and eerie vocals. “This day is a big one for me,” Ragnhhild sings over one of the record’s most intriguing soundscapes, a mix of noise and Broadcast-style detachment. [4.5/5]
‘Fumble’: ‘Fumble’ encapsulates the softer parts of Champion in playful synths and statements about experiencing the world as an adult. “You’re the one that feels like family,” Ragnhild sings in the record’s final moments, and it feels like an ode to her bandmates and their journey over the last eight years. [4/5]
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