Norway's freewheeling
Pom Poko combine their jazz school training and experimental leanings into equally sugary and explosive music. Inspired by math rock, post-punk, West African music, and weird pop bands such as
Deerhoof, the group introduced their loose-limbed, playful style on 2019's
Birthday, then emphasized the contrast between their meticulous compositions and chaotic performances on 2021's bracing
Cheater.
Named after a film by Japanese animation powerhouse Studio Ghibli,
Pom Poko consists of
Ragnhild Fangel Jamtveit (vocals),
Martin Miguel Almagro Tonne (guitar),
Ola Djupvik (drums), and
Jonas Krøvel (bass).
Tonne,
Djupvik, and
Krøvel met while studying at the Trondheim Music Conservatory and initially aspired to be a noise punk trio. However, when they were asked to perform at a literary festival in 2016, they added
Jamtveit on vocals and quickly wrote a set of sugary pop/punk songs with unexpected twists. The band soon started playing gigs, including a support slot for their friends
Broen.
Simon Raymonde, the founder of
Broen's label
Bella Union, happened to see
Pom Poko play at this show and signed them soon after.
In February 2019, the label released the combo's debut album,
Birthday, which was nominated for the Nordic Music Prize as well as two Norwegian Grammy Awards. That August,
Pom Poko issued "Leg Day," a stand-alone song they recorded in a northern Italian village. Another track, "Praise," appeared in March 2020 and hinted at the more volatile direction of the band's second full-length,
Cheater. Released in January 2021, the album was co-produced by
Marcus Forsgren and took the sweet and combustive elements of
Pom Poko's sounds to extremes. ~ Heather Phares & Liam Martin