Pomegranates 'Everybody, Come Outside!' (Heist Or Hit) Released 02/11/09

The ingredients thrown into the stirring jar that makes up Pomegranates’ second album aren’t entirely unique; first of all, there’s the happy-go-lucky attitude, exemplified in the title, the mood of almost every song. Compiled by rich guitar layers, lyrics about being in the city and wanting to see the stars, this album about escapism has to some extent, all been done before. And so why is it that ‘Everybody, Come Outside!‘ sticks out like a sore thumb as something triumphantly inventive?

Well my friends, it’s all down to the element of surprise. The most notable of which comes about in a thrashing climax that closes ‘Beachcomber’, an elusive entry that comes totally out of the blue after twenty seconds of fade out. Structure is constantly dabbled with, ‘Corriander‘ opening with pitch-perfect guitar shivers, morphing into something more bulky and powerful before stripping down and settling into ‘384 BC‘, an excellent example of how well the album flows from track to track.

Each sound responds to the other as horns never clash, merely interlocking and corresponding. If a guitar peaks in energy, as does the percussion. If the spirit picks up, Joey Cook arrives, adapting his voice to every jolt and jive. Not one member of Pomegranates tries to take centre stage and this egalitarian approach reaps the rewards. Cook and Isaac Karns switch on and off buttons on penultimate track ‘Tesseract‘, another unpredictable offering that muses about “sailing away in a red balloon…” – again, escape is at the core of the stories spoken.

But it’s what appears as a token down-tempo album closer, ‘I Feel Like I’m A Million Years Old‘ that truly defines this album as something beautiful, graceful and intelligent. Assign the sounds of this song to the rise of the sun or the tilt of the wind and you’ve found your place – compelled for the entire thirteen minutes of which this lasts. You don’t notice the time passing whilst engulfed in the rich atmosphere so crucially enhanced by the kind of production that makes a busy song sound like there’s still empty spaces to fill. Nothing is overwhelming to the point of deterring you.

And the album as a whole reflects the progression of many a Pomegranates song – starting lively, keeping pace but varying character within before straightening out in a cohesive sense of relaxation. Obviously the tables are turned on occasion, with songs opening peacefully before bursting to life but one thing invariably remains: a gratifying, satisfying listen that always does its best to keep you on your toes – that’s what sets Pomegranates apart from every other band exiting the studio with a similar idea in tact.