From liquid ambient music to layered punk, this California band has the makings of something interesting
Pollen’s August release of their self-titled debut is an interesting first effort from the California-based quartet. Flora Records appears to have found something interesting in this group which has hints of influences across a broad spectrum. Besnard Lakes, Mitski, David Bryne, even Blondie & The Donnas influences can be heard throughout Pollen.
At 8 tracks, just over 30 min, it’s an easy listen, something to put on in the background as you do something else. Ambient is a fair classification – much of the album features delay and reverb that almost gives a feeling of floating in a cloud of, you guessed it, pollen.
That’s not to say that you should plan on walking away itchy-eyed; there’s enough variety there to evoke some strong feelings and it has the music to match. A balance of psychedelic tracks, up-beat punk numbers, and even a lullaby of sorts. The lyrical tone stands in contrast, a fairly somber, maybe even bordering on dour, exploration of trauma and toxic relationships.
The album opens with Venta, Spanish for “to sell” – as in exchange money for goods or services. The buzz of an amplifier precedes a lush cloud of layered guitars that flow in like a warm wave of ocean water. There’s almost an homage to Feel It All Around by Washed Out, but maybe I’m just hearing that because I’m from Portland. The vocals are fleeting, another bit of ephemera passing you by, bobbing on the surface of the backing guitars. Wonderful mix and instrumentation, highlighting vocalist Jaz Vivanco’s concerns that her meaning will simply get lost in the flow of a day that’s “too normal.”
From there, we’re greeted with a mixture of tracks that showcase Pollen’s punk influences, love of ambient guitar, and general focus on the ennui of life bathed in reverb. There are some standouts, like when Vivanco’s vocals shine through the mix in Seasons, or the hallucinogenic Poppy. Sleepyhat, appropriately, evokes a dreamlike-state with layered instrumentation and vocals reminiscent of one of Stevie Nicks’ witchy outfits. Eggshells and Candy Hearts get back to Pollen’s punk influences, providing tracks that would fit well on a “Happy-sounding Depressing Songs” playlist for when you need to get stuff done but also could use some emotional self-harm. Pollen closes with Odie’s Exit, the most upbeat and pop-y of the album, a fitting close that ends with the same amp buzz that opened the album.
While there’s some stylistic variance in the album, it’s generally fairly homogenous. As a musician and guitarist myself, I feel like the genre as a whole suffers from some groupthink. Effects manufacturers like Strymon, Meris, and Chase Bliss have contributed to this by producing layered effects that have crept from ambient and dreamlike to muddled cacophony in post-production. Pollen retains some variance in influence, but definitely suffers from the over-Chase Bliss-ification of music, resulting in a muddled tone.
Even if I won’t have this album in regular rotation, it’s a solid first effort and this author looks forward to Pollen’s future outings as they develop a unique style and tone.
Written by Will Darden
