Matt Pond PA’s popularity is growing now more than ever. They recently contributed to the television show “The OC” with a cover of Oasis’ “Champagne Supernova” and have toured with such acts as Liz Phair and Guster. They were also recently named one of Rolling Stone’s “10 Bands to Watch.”
Matt Pond PA’s newest CD release is titled ‘Several Arrows Later” and is the band’s fifth CD in 5 years. MPPA consists of Louie Lino on guitars, pedal steel guitar and keyboards; Matthew Pond on vocals, guitars and piano; Margaret White on violin; Eve Miller on cello; Brian Pearl on guitars, piano, Wurlitzer piano, vibraphone and electric bass; Daniel Mitha on electric bass; and Dan Crowell on drums. The violin, cello and piano fit perfectly with Matt Ponds lyrics, as you can hear on the first song on “Several Arrows Later” titled “Halloween.”
The music is up beat while having a gentle flow, which contrasts well with lyrics about social frustration and seasonal heartache. A simple up-tempo drum beat and piano line are the musical backbone to “Halloween,” which sets the tone for the entire CD.
Though MPPA picks up the speed slightly with track two, titled “So Much Trouble,” the style of music does not stray throughout the album. “So Much Trouble” is a great pop song held together with soft, fluffy layers of strings that eases you into “Several Arrows Later,” the title track to this release.
On track four – “Several Arrows Later” – Matt Pond’s lyrics throw the listener into a summer of anxiety and heart-racing romance.
Track five, titled “It is Safe,” takes the listener on a metaphoric swim. This track is about getting your feet wet in a relationship. Pond paints the picture of someone standing in shallow waves and slowly walking deeper into the ocean as their relationship is getting more serious, all the while looking back and making sure they are still safe.
“It is Safe” flows slowly into the next track titled “Emblems,” which is a dark song about ghosts and signs.
The next track is titled “City Song.” This song focuses on living in New York City and how the city will make decisions for you if you let it. As you listen to this track, it is easy to picture yourself walking down the snowy streets of New York all bundled up in a scarf and over coat.
Fire seems to be a reoccurring theme on “Several Arrows Later.” Matt Pond’s lyrics tackle just about every aspect of fire, from heat to color, from destruction to the aftermath that a fire can cause. This is evident in track eight titled, “From Debris.”
In “From Debris” Pond sings about a girl being woken by a neighbor’s fire alarm. After she is awake, she runs outside to see the devastation. Pond quickly changes this story into a metaphor using the debris of the fire to help them build a new relationship.Next is “Brooklyn Stars,” a song about leaving your loved one as you head off to work. Pond takes the listener with him as he heads off to work. The song continues through a work day and concludes with the subway ride back home.
Though most of the songs on “Several Arrows Later” are too personal to the songwriter for the listener to figure out, you can tell that they are well thought-out and hold real meaning to Pond. The melodies and flow of “Several Arrows Later” are what makes this release so great. After listening to the CD a couple of times, you will be hooked.
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