Living by Pontiak
LABEL: Thrill Jockey

Pontiak’s Living, the bands fifth LP, at times can be a test of the listener’s patience. The music throughout this album has a jam band kind of rock vibe that feels like your hearing a live studio session. That being said, this recent release contains several audio gems that, for the music lover, are worth the wait. “Young” one of the shorter songs on the album, starts off with a wicked groove that seems to come right from the seventies and sets the tone for the album, declaring this is not pop. Minimalistic lyrics show up in a soulful yet monotone delivery which surface on many songs on Living.

“Algiers By Day” is a groovy song where the vocals are simple in lyrical content but help create a thickness to the track. As a song, it seems the most complete by popular standards, beginning, middle and end. But, if that is what you look for in an album, best move on as they present a non-traditional approach to rock music.

Pontiak seems content exploring sounds and space with their instruments. My favorite song on this entire album is one that does just that. “Second Sun” has space, crazy guitar swells and sounds backed with a constant percussive drive. The drums and the guitars create a sad surfer vibe which seems fitting because it fades into the next song “Beach.” If you like music that wades through sound and wanders in and out of grooves Pontiak’s Living is definitely worth a solid listen.


REVIEWED BY CHRISTIAN AUSTIN
CHRISTIAN’S FAVE TRACKS: “Young” • “Algiers By Day” • “Second Sun”
Christian co-owns Traitor’s Gate, a music and audio recording studio