On the heels of their debut album, “Birthday,” Norwegian band Pom Poko returns with “Cheater.” Strongly influenced by math rock and pop-punk, the group provides a short but vibrant record brimming with energy. Self-described as “Punky Sweetness,” “Cheater” acts as a delightful romp to kick off the new year.
Compared to “Birthday,” “Cheater” does act as a slight step down in intensity and experimentation. (Nothing like “Theme #1” has a place on this album.) This is not to say that Pom Poko doesn’t experiment at all on “Cheater.” The small moment of harpsichord at the end of “My Candidacy” is evidence of that. (Furthermore, it actually sounds good, which anyone who has listened to harpsichord music will confirm is a feat in itself.) In fact, this slight change in Pom Poko’s sound actually makes their album a bit more approachable to the average music listener. And thank goodness for that, because “Cheater” rewards the listener with track after track of energetic beats and infectious guitar instrumentals.
In fact, just the sequencing of “Cheater” is something to admire. The album kicks off with the eponymous “Cheater” and “Like a Lady” drawing in the listener with their unique vocals and quirky rhythms. Then Pom Poko switches things up, hitting us with the more laid-back “Andrew.” The record continues on in this fashion, playing a series of high-powered tracks before slowing things down for brief moments. This back and forth, along with the brevity of the songs (none exceed four minutes) is quite effective in keeping the listener engaged.
Another stand-out for the album, and Pom Poko in general, is Ragnhild Fangel Jamtveit, the band’s vocalist. Whether she’s shouting out a discordant chorus (“Look”) or singing in a captivating soprano (“Danger Baby”), Jamtveit never fails to fully deliver on the complex melodies of each track. Even when a line repeats over and over, she sounds so good that you don’t even mind. Jamtveit’s vocals in conjunction with the band’s instrumentation is truly a perfect combination.
My only qualm with the album is that sometimes those fantastic vocals get overpowered by the music. This seems to be an influence of Pom Poko’s math-rock roots, where instruments take prominence. Nevertheless, since the lyrics tend to be unconventional, them being unclear makes understanding the song that much more difficult. However, this only happens a few times on the album, so it’s easily forgivable.
Overall, “Cheater” acts as a strong, fun album to get your serotonin going and your feet moving. It doesn’t break any new ground, but who cares? If you’ve only got 33 minutes left to live, go ahead and put this on.
Favorite Tracks: Cheater, Like a Lady, Danger Baby, Curly Romance
Noah Haynes
