Consisting of nine songs, 9 is Pond’s aptly-named ninth studio album. Having felt they’d mastered the art of psych pop, frontman Nick Allbrook decided to take Pond in a different direction for their latest record. To accomplish this, the band held improvised jam sessions where they filled up countless tape reels with hours of music before editing them into individual songs. The result is a funked-out abstract journey taking you to a techno club one minute and a rock opera the next with no time for explanations.

by Paul Schoening