Album of the Week – 16/08/24

If you google Pom Poko you’ll get an animated movie about a group of “Japanese raccoon dogs living in the outskirts of Tokyo”. Yes, it would be made by Studio Ghibli. The band by the same name are “Pure Norwegian Punky Sweetness” according to their bandcamp page. Their new album Champion has fittingly taken our top prize this week.

There are also albums from Rosie Lowe (Lover, Other), Father John Misty (Greatish Hits: I Followed My Dreams and My Dreams Said to Crawl ), Hamish Hawk (A Firmer Hand), Post Malone (F-1 Trillion) and a few more besides…

Album of the Week – Champion by Pom Poko

Pom Poko are growing up. On Champion, a monumental slice of reflective and life-affirming post-punk, vocalist/lyricist Ragnhild Fangel Jamtveit, bassist Jonas Krøvel, guitarist Martin Miguel Almagro Tonne, and drummer Ola Djupvik are the closest they’ve ever been, both personally and in terms of their hermetically tight four-piece rock instrumentation. When most bands call each other “family”, it’s a bit of a cliché—but with Pom Poko, after years of touring the four corners of the world and instituting a stringently democratic songwriting process, they really have evolved into one highly-synchronized unit, whose mission is to stay as true to their artistic values as possible while continuing to explore the farthest reaches of their slightly chaotic, always exhilarating sound.

“It feels like we’re maturing and growing up together,” explains Ragnhild. “By the time this album comes out, we’ll have been a band for eight years. It’s like we’re evolving. When you’re not grinding with the band all the time, you gain an appreciation for what you’ve built. It’s like a very weird and really lovely little gang to hang out in. I almost feel like we’re superheroes—it’s like being a part of Powerpuff Girls.

Albums of Note:

— Lover, Other –  Rosie Lowe

— Father John Misty – Greatish Hits: I Followed My Dreams and My Dreams Said to Crawl (Physical Release)

— Hamish Hawk – A Firmer Hand

— Post Malone – F-1 Trillion

Albums released on August 16th:

— Akon – Trouble (Deluxe Edition)

— Amy Shark – Sunday Sadness

— Bay Ledges – Rivers

— Ben Sollee – Long Haul

— Blind Pilot – In the Shadow of the Holy Mountain

— BOYNEXTDOOR – AND

— Charly Bliss – FOREVER

— Chuck Johnson – Sun Glories

— The Cle Elum – It’s OK If It Falls Apart

— Creed – Human Clay (Deluxe Edition)

— Dark Tranquillity – Endless Signals

— Del Water Gap – I Miss You Already + I Haven’t Left Yet (Deluxe)

— Delicate Steve – Delicate Steve Sings

— Devon Allman – Miami Moon

— Dinosaur Jr. – Farm (Vinyl Reissue)

— The Faint – Doom Abuse (Vinyl Reissue)

— The Faint – Fasciinatiion (Vinyl Reissue)

— Family Dinner – God Looks Out For Fools

— Father John Misty – Greatish Hits: I Followed My Dreams and My Dreams Said to Crawl (Physical Release)

— Foster the People – Paradise State of Mind

— GEL – Persona EP

— Hamish Hawk – A Firmer Hand

— Hank May – Tails and Trails

— Horse Jumper of Love – Disaster Trick

— Isaia Huron – I’ll Finish the Lyrics Later EP

— Jae Skeese – Ground Level

— Jimmy Buffett – Barometer Soup (Vinyl Reissue)

— Jimmy Buffett – Changes in Altitudes (Vinyl Reissue)

— Jimmy Buffett – Changes in Latitudes(Vinyl Reissue)

— K. Yoshimatsu – Fossil Cocoon: The Music of K. Yoshimatsu

— KATSEYE – SIS (Soft Is Strong) EP

— Koreless – Deceltica EP

— Lauren Daigle – Sessions

— Lesibu Grand – Triggered

— Lexxicon – Pink Fraternity

— Matty – POPS

— Maude Latour – Sugar Water

— Meghan Trainor – Timeless (Deluxe)

— Morgan Wade – Obsessed

— MÒZÂMBÎQÚE – Endlessness EP

— NERO – Into the Unknown

— Nikka Costa – Dirty Disco

— NoCap – Before I Disappear Again

— OK Cowgirl – Couldn’t Save Us From My Gut

— Palehound –  Live at First Congregational Church

— Post Malone – F-1 Trillion

— Ray Lamontagne – Long Way Home

— Riley Thomas – Bad By Design EP

— Rosie Lowe – Lover, Other

— The Script – Satellites

— Shelby Lynne – Consequences of the Crown

— Steve Forbert – Daylight Savings Time

— Stoned Jesus – Seven Thunders Roar (Reissue)

— Tama Gucci – Notes to Self

— Tinashe – Quantum Baby

— TRENCH – Between Inverted Worlds

— Velocity Girl – UltraCopacetic (Copacetic Remixed and Expanded)

— The Wiggles – Wiggle & Learn

— Wishy – Triple Seven

— Yours Truly – TOXIC