Pope – “Fiction” Review
Posted: by Henderson
STREAM THE ALBUM WHILE YOU READ!
Pope, a chill New Orleans lo-fi punk band, released Fiction on March 10th on Community Records. The record is full of droning low energy tracks that hum along blasting your ears with fuzzy riffs and low key vocals that sporadically burst through the web of sound. While no track stands out as extraordinary, they meld together into a cohesive and enjoyable album. If at first it doesn’t grab you, give it another listen. This album is a grower.
Upon my first listen, I really wasn’t that excited with any of the tracks in particular. There are a few surprises, but when Pope does take an unexpected turn, it’s subtle.
One such moment occurs in the track ‘Gearbear’ when the fuzz tide recedes temporarily to reveal a cool little bass line/drum combination. Another occurs in the track ‘Panic’ when the normally reserved vocals become darker and more forceful, taking on almost a vampiric tone (reminsicant of HIM, unless you hated them in which case I never said that). Little moments like these won’t cause you fall out of your chair, but they mix things up just enough to keep the record interesting.
The tracks fade into one another, they sound similar enough that it’s often hard to tell where in the album you are listening. Repetitive? Eh a little, but I felt it built a solid album experience. This is a true “Set It and Forget It” album. I tend to listen to the whole thing through and then start from the beginning again. And that’s exactly how this album started to grow on me.
Upon later listens, I started to pick up on the lyrics, and the occasional guitar riffs that force their way through the fuzz began to remind me of bands like Archers of Loaf. Was I hearing things? Why was I so entranced by this album? I’m not really sure. All I know is I’ve had a ton of fun listening to this thing and you should give it a shot.
7.5/10
