Cincinnati’s Pomegranates sure have the whole dream-pop thing down, that’s for sure. Their latest record, Everybody Come Outside!, is a glittering example of a band confident and competent in their art.
Breaking out last year with their debut full length, Everything Is Alive, Pomegranates have sewed up a sweet and sassy little concept record with their second album. Each song contributes to the whole, weaving an absorbing and magical tale of a man leaving home only to be taken captive by a time traveler and left lost in time.
All swirling guitars, cheerful keys, and hammering drums, the album has great flow and tells a marvelous yarn. These Pomegranates are inventive, bold, and vigorous, infusing each musical number with a sense of adventure and pure, untainted bliss.
With Jacob Merritt’s drums and percussion cranked up in the mix and serving as a sort of driving force, Pomegranates flesh out nicely with the vocals/guitar/bass/keys of Joey Cook, the bass/electric guitar of Josh Kufeldt, and the guitar/bass/vocals/sampling/keys of Isaac Karns.
Everybody Come Outside! leads off with the bouncy get-up-and-go of the title track, leading listeners outside for an adventure the likes of which they’ve never heard.
Proceeding through territories of soft melody, dream-like soundscapes, and elegant off-kilter guitar work, the album is a meandering stream through indie pop. Whether it’s the calm repetition of “Sail (Away With Me)” or the anthemic jubilation of “Corriander,” Everybody Come Outside! charges with unbridled hope and exuberance.
The powerful gait of “This Land Used to be My Land, But Now I Hate This Land” is a highlight, booming with the urgent shouting towards the conclusion and marching with Merritt’s propulsive drums.
The seven minutes of “Jerusalem Has a Bad Day” is astounding, sweeping with more anthemic, juicy guitar pop and the sound of twinkling stars.
With more revealed about this marvellously bizarre story with each individual tune, it’s safe to say that Everybody Come Outside! ought to be heard from start to finish. The originality and uniqueness of these songs will captivate and charm, providing a small story about leaving home with more surprises and more magic than most Hollywood blockbusters.
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