Television's The O.C. has been a mixed blessing for the world of indie pop. Yes, bands like Modest Mouse and Death Cab for Cutie have courted mainstream attention thanks to the program's use of their music, but with commercial success comes a tendency towards homogeny. Matt Pond PA is a band that seems most grievously affected by the favors of the show's audience. Several Arrows Later, the new LP from the New York City band, seems almost tailored for the show's soundtrack.
Matt Pond PA is well known for oblique and emotional lyrics and beautifully expansive instrumentation, thanks to the use of a string section and keyboards.
Several Arrows Later marks almost a complete 180-degree about-face from the somber and classically inspired debut, Measure. Gone are the most baroque elements of the band's sound, replaced by slick pop production. The expressive cello work of former Peabody student Eve Miller is minimized to the point of being an afterthought, unlike MPPA's once-central string section. Drum work, though on occasion interestingly unconventional, more often falls into inoffensively overproduced 4/4 beats. As a result of these production values, the record sounds predominantly like a smart Adult Alternative release.
On the other hand, the songwriting is as good as ever, if not much more pop/rock oriented than previous efforts. Matt Pond is a consistently excellent vocal performer who manages to infuse his lyrics with a great deal of emotional intensity without crossing the line into maudlin emo. His songs on Several Arrows Later are as tuneful as they have ever been and will no doubt win the band many more fans. Tracks such as "So Much Trouble" are examples of how the new pop-intensive sound works with effective guitar work and extremely catchy melodies. The title track verges on being danceable, perhaps a new step for MPPA and not necessarily an unlistenable one.
"The Moviegoer" benefits from fantastic string lines that evoke the older records and a bouncing melody that is insidiously catchy.
The strongest track on the album is the concluding song, "Devil In the Water," which manages to sound fresh as it strolls along through instrumental breaks and mellow, harmonized vocals.
If you are an O.C. fan, you will probably love this record. If you are a Matt Pond PA fan, you might not. However, the tunefulness and grace of the songwriting almost outweigh the insipid Adult Alternative element, making it a difficult album to hate. One can only hope that the band finds a new producer for the next release.
