The Pomegranates 2008 debut, “Everything is Alive,” was a fantastic indie/art pop record that begged the question: Can they do it again? The answer is, decidedly, yes. “Everybody Come Outside!” is even better than the first album: It’s got more energy, for one thing. The opener/title track features shouted harmonies, afro-beat, and a wonderful display of their you-go-then-I-go shared vocal styles. For another thing, the production is cleaner and really allows each of the talented bandmembers to breathe. “Beachcomber,” for example, is a showcase for the bassplayer. Or perhaps I should say bassplayers, because it appears that each member of the roster plays multiple instruments, and several are credited with basswork. “This Land Used to Be…” has a little loud/soft interplay and shows the vocal range enabled by letting each of its members sing various verses. It also uses vocal effects that occasionally make it sound like Band of
Horses—good company to keep. The band can do quiet, too, like the ironically titled, “Piano,” a brief acoustic guitar ditty seeking the attention of a loved one. It’s hauntingly simple, like a lullaby, and it’s not even corny when the seagulls start making noises at the end. That’s not an easy feat to pull off. Many of the songs are long-form, too. The most extreme example: The epic, 12 minute closing track, “Acoustic,” which is simply extraordinary. Shoegazers take note: This is what your genre is capable of. Now try to surpass it.

But most of all, what makes “Everybody Come Outside!” a superior album is that it hangs together, demanding a start-to-finish listen. Each song builds on the one before it, and of all the songs here, not one is a dog. Can’t wait for the next one.

Corriander

Older stuff:

We Could’ve Escaped, But No One Was Interested

Whom/Who

Tour Dates w/ Wye Oak (Merge Records)!
04/15/09 Pittsburgh, PA @ Brillobox
04/16/09 Cinncinnati, OH @ Southgate House
04/17/09 Chicago, IL @ Hideout
04/18/09 Carleton, MN @ Basement
04/19/09 Minneapolis, MN @ 7th St. Entry
04/20/09 Iowa City, IA @ Public Space One
04/21/09 Omaha, NE @ Waiting Room
04/22/09 Denver, CO @ Hi-Dive
04/23/09 Salt Lake City, UT @ Kilby Ct.
04/24/09 Boise, ID @ Neurolux
04/25/09 Kennewick, WA @ The Red Room
04/26/09 Seattle, WA @ Sunset Tavern
04/27/09 Portland, OR @ Doug Fir Lounge
04/29/09 San Francisco, CA @ Rickshaw Stop
04/30/09 Los Angeles, CA @ Silverlake Lounge
05/01/09 Pheonix, AZ @ Trunk Space
05/04/09 Norman, OK @ Opolis
05/05/09 Ft. Worth, TX @ TBD
05/06/09 Austin, TX @ Mohawk
05/09/09 Atlanta, GA @ Drunken Unicorn
05/10/09 Chapel Hill, NC @ Local 506
05/11/09 Washington, DC @ Black Cat
05/12/09 Philadelphia, PA @ Kung Fu Necktie
05/13/09 New York City, NY @ Mercury Lounge
05/14/09 Cambridge, MA @ TT the Bears
05/15/09 New Haven, CT @ Cafe Nine
05/16/09 Baltimore, MD @ Metro Gallery
06/15/09 07:30:00 PM Newport, KY @ The Southgate House w/Ted Leo