The Natural Lines is at once clearly Matt Pond’s work, yet a huge leap forward in its measured songcraft, melodic immediacy, collaborative detail and wryly questioning lyrics, the result is a gorgeous album of intimate reflections from a relocated, renamed, revivified talent.
The album was recorded with close collaborators and friends over a period that saw Pond make vital adjustments to his life, its stealth emergence reflects his desire to set a fresh pace for himself and come from somewhere new, somewhere more open.
There’s a sonic serenity to The Natural Lines new single “Artificial Moonlight” that will pull you in and hold onto your attention from the opening notes and not let go. Pond’s light and slightly scratchy voice evokes thoughts of Wayne Coyne while the instrumentation has a more traditional indie pop sensibility. The modest synth layering leads to an instrumental section that shows strong and informed restraint; building slowly to a pinnacle before dropping back into the verse. Go catch the band touring on the east coast this month.
“I wanted to steal the moon in a dirty white Mustang amidst a sea of flashing lighting bolts. I wanted to see how far we could push the local traffic laws without ending up behind bars. I wanted to make something with my friends that felt like a worry-less, hot summer night. Artificial Moonlight is a fever dream come true,” says Pond.
