Say…is today your Birthday?
Mine neither! But if it WAS, I’d be happy to share it with the announcement debut album from the aggressive and ambitious Norwegian quartet known as Pom Poko.
This exuberant foursome, who formed while all studying together at the Norway’s Trondheim Music Conservatory, conscientiously borrowed their moniker from one of the more gloriously eccentric films by Japanese animation mainstays Studio Ghibli, citing the movie’s “really crazy and fun” vibe as a primary influence on their “exhausted ecstasy” approach to songwriting. In addition to the film, the band also somehow manages to cite everything from “(West) African music like Oumou Sangaré and Ali Farka Touré; indie bands like Vulfpeck, Palm and KNOWER; noisy high-energy bands such as Hella and Death Grips; and music with interesting lyrics such as Jenny Hval and Nick Drake” as points of departure.
Sounds like a heck of a LOT to synthesize, right? Well, they’ve apparently managed to do it: because today, they’ve announced that their first album, Birthday, will be born unto the world on February 22, 2019 via the illustrious Bella Union label.
And just to put their money where they’re mouth is, they’ve also shared the breathlessly idea-packed album track “My Blood,” which you can sample down below. Once you’ve finished blasting yourself with its relentless and truly funky barrage of hooks, kinks, barbs, and sweet-nothings, head here to pre-order the record. Heck, consider it a birthday present; who’s gonna call you out?
Birthday tracklisting:
01. Theme1
02. My Blood
03. Follow The Lights
04. My Work Is Full Of Art
05. Blue
06. Honey
07. Crazy Energy Night
08. Birthday
09. Milk Trust
10. Day Tripper
11. If U Want Me 2 Stay
12. Peachy