Matt Pond PA – Several Arrows Later

Teamwork = Good Music

Matt Pond PA is a band that stays busy. Since their debut in 2000 they’ve managed to release an album a year, several EPs and steadily tour at the same time. Moreover, the quality of their music has never faltered. It is no different on Several Arrows Later, an album that blends different styles in a friendly and fun manner that, once again, has the quintet firing on all cylinders. It’s an album of top-notch, thoroughly enjoyable pop songs; plain and simple. Matt Pond and company plainly state their introverted purpose in the opener “”Halloween.”” With lyrics like “”Went to where people were on a Saturday night/Seems like it always seems/Where I go I want to leave,”” one can tell that this is a world-weary and introspective band. “”From Debris”” is a catchy, raucously beautiful ballad about the possibilities of the best endeavors rising out of chaos. Sure, it’s been done. However, by juxtaposing images of a burning house with the beginning of a relationship, Matt Pond PA reaches a unique emotional truth. These odd pairings of events brilliantly fill the album. Though the overall sound, tone, and energy never fall out of sync, there’s just no real moment that grabs the listener. Other highlights include “”Devil in the Water,”” “”Brooklyn Stars,”” and “”The Moviegoer,”” the latter being a toe-tapper about what could’ve been.

ame Several Arrows Later is a solid album of songs that can be played in the car, at home, or even on the headphones. Even after albums, Matt Pond PA shows no signs of stopping the rhythm they’ve had since their inception.