| Sprouting from the minds of Jacob Merritt and Isaac Karns, the four piece group,
the Pomegranates have gone from a small indie project to a full blown indie
experience with melodic guitar arrangements adorned by bells, samplings and keys.
This sort of "close to home" feeling music is inspiring to say the least and I
always enjoy a feel good indie record even if it isn't the most amazing thing out
there.
That statement pretty much sums up this record, as the Pomegranates strew together
simplistic guitar riffs together with quirky nuances (such as keyboards, sampling,
and electronic reverb) to enhance the record past their counterparts in the genre.
The lyrics are down to earth and cute in their own little way. The vocals are well
done except for the fact I didn't realize I was hearing a man sing (as I thought it
was a girl) so that blew my mind, but other than that the high pitched (often
songbird-like in nature) are perfectly fine.
They have been classified in the "Shoegazing" genre, which was weird because I
didn't know what that meant at first. (Apparently because the musicians in these
bands often maintained a motionless performing style, standing on stage and staring
at the floor while playing their instruments; hence, the idea that they were gazing
at their shoes.) This makes perfect sense for the Pomegranates because of their
dream pop sound and echoed nuances that make up their style.
I don't have anything too negative to say about "Everything is Alive" because it is
essentially a quirky indie album with extra electronic discoveries that are laden
on the way while listening to it. The over simplistic backend to their sound and their semi-unproduced sound is
about the only thing I can muster up, but even that is mostly smoothed over by the calm
serenades and magical atmosphere they paint. Pomegranates as a fruit may not be
appealing, but you should check out the band.
~ Pernell
April 06 2008 |