Matt Pond PA

Four Songs (Altitude)
by Tim Den

It’s a shame that Matt Pond PA continue to be nothing more than obscure cult favorites. So much so that they now call an even more obscure label home (Altitude is a new AAM venture, supposedly).

Four Songs is just that: Four numbers as a prelude to the upcoming full-length. Though the first two entries aren’t anywhere near the band’s best moments (even the production is shabby, losing much of the band’s warmth), the two quiet closers make the EP worth the trip. “Red Ankles” and “Counting Song,” with melancholy dripping from acoustic strums and cello bows, leave no doubt that Matt Pond PA never go wrong when they take things to a more intimate level. Like a rainy Pacific Northwest afternoon, it darkens the mood but heals the spirit. Let’s hope the rest of the world learns to appreciate such attributes.
(www.mattpondpa.com)