With nine solid songs, Pond's "9" works as a brief whilst enjoyable listen that is arguably one of their strongest efforts to date. The album feels like a combination of LCD Soundsystem mixed in with some Peter Gabriel. It's at times in your face, and other moments, more restrained and relaxed. 'Human Touch' is a gritty and distorted energizer that utilises creative production techniques to achieve a very digital sounding sound atmosphere. To contrast this, the album closer 'Toast' is a slow-burner that is full of warm analog synth layers and an all-around lo-fi feel, reminding me in a way of some of the more ambient leaning ICEHOUSE tracks.
One of the strongest components of "9", for me at least, is the lead vocals by Nick Allbrook. Across each and every song off the record, Nick demonstrates an excellent diversity in his vocal offerings, some being heavy and harsh, and others being highly melodramatic. 'Pink Lunettes' for instance, features some chaotic vocals from Nick that expertly support the track's fast-tempo and throbbing bassline. So with clean production, bright vocals, and loads of variety, "9" works as an album, and is most importantly, a hell of a good time!
By: Flermilyxx