Labels: Fire
Review by: Alex Deller
For a time there I was quietly obsessed with Bardo Pond. It had to do with the sheer vulgar glory of ‘Bufo Alvarius’, the lopsided Stones riff of ‘Despite The Roar’ and the blissful bloody loudness of their fucked n’ fuggy live performance. While this fancy didn’t pass, per se, it did dwindle some. I kept tabs on what they were doing but didn’t fully ensconce myself in their shroom-damaged world. Truth be told, it was probably for the best: keep at it too long and your brain’ll turn to glue and you’ll find yourself good for naught beyond tye dyeing t-shirts in a commune with 16 other bead-wearing burnouts and their barefooted, semi-feral children. Despite knowing all the dangers, I fear ‘Peace On Venus’ may represent a rekindling of this obsession. There’s nothing much to recommend it beyond what the band are already familiar for (heavy, broken blues; meandering flute lines; spaced-out vocals and loping hypnotics), but it’s just so damn good. Just listen to woozy, ramshackle opener ‘Kali Yuga Blues’ and tell me I’m a fibber. You know you can’t, and with enough exposure you’ll soon find yourself on the same slippery slope as me, planning three-week sojourns to Stonehenge, frequently dropping the word ‘equinox’ into your vague, faltering conversations and talking far too much nonsense about crystals.