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Album Details

• Artist: Matt Pond Pa
• Album: Emblems
• Label: Altitiude
• Year of Release: 2004
• ME Rating:
• Reviewed by: dscanland on 2004-08-27

The call matt pond PA chamber pop and Emblems is a great showcase of why. The Nature Of Maps was my first introduction to this talented band and according to some other critics it was their worst album to date. Their worst album and I gave it five stars? How do I top that rating? Well Emblems really shows me what I may have been missing with some of their other releases. The group is sporting a new label this time around in the form of the small Altitude. While I'm sure that Polyvinyl will miss them, they have given Altitude a great first album. The songs are full and lush as you would expect from a band like this. The production is beautifully executed as well. Tracks like "Claire" give a much fuller sound than you might expect but on the opening "Kc" we are treated to the full arrangement that you have come to expect. Matt Pond PA is reaching out a little on this album and have really created an amazing album. There is a bit of trickery at play on "Closest (Look Out)". They start the song with a heavy and distorted drum sample only to drop it back giving us one of the most driving songs on Emblems. "East Coast E." is a very gentle track that has the cello all over it making it one of the most appealing quiet songs on the collection. "Last Song" starts out like it could be a country track only to instill the thick arrangement in the song with the layered vocals. I can hear a little bit of Promise Ring ease through the mix. Matt's vocals do sound a little like Davey's. Emblems is an album that I will be listening to years to come. Matt Pond PA is not only chamber pop, they are arguably the best.

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