The Australian psychedelic rock band Pond released a dreamy tenth studio album on June 21 titled “Stung!”

Full of the reverb-laden guitars and atmospheric synth pads the band became known for, the 14 tracks off “Stung!” sound and feel as warm as a summer night in the band’s hometown of Fremantle, Western Australia. 

The album’s first track, “Constant Picnic,” encapsulates the mellow, summertime feeling and danceable musical experimentation present throughout the entire project. Beginning with a deep, pulsating bass drum beat and guitar feedback before a clean rhythm guitar drenched in reverb, the funky shuffling drum beat drives the rest of the track as lead singer Nicholas Allbrook gently croons about heartbreak.

At various points, Allbrook’s singing shifts from a sweet and gentle pop style to a more intense delivery like those from classic rock icons such as Mick Jagger. These sudden changes mirror the unpredictability of the instruments as the songs fluctuate between clean, acoustic sounds and dirty, overdriven electronic noise. 

This can be heard on the chorus of the track “Neon River,” where Allbrook’s singing intensifies and an overdriven electric guitar replaces the soft acoustic guitar of the verse, beautifully shifting back and forth from the sentimental verses and the raucous, noisy chorus.

Many of the lyrics on “Stung!” are quite sad and surprisingly dark, in stark contrast to the groovy psychedelia of the album’s instrumentals. Lyrical themes of heartbreak, love, sorrow and existentialism are present throughout the album, often juxtaposed to the rowdiness of the instrumentation. 

On the track “So Lo,” a funky post-punk-inspired song featuring a deep, energetic bassline and jagged staccato guitar chords reminiscent of Nile Rodgers, Allbrook sings about the cruelty of life as bright electric keys float in and out of the mix.

“All this suffering is all a part of being (Part of being) / Making sense at all seems so Sisyphean / And I pray that my dying is freeing,” Allbrook sings on “So Lo”, accompanied by vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Jay Watson.

Sometimes, the lyrics on “Stung!” can be very nonsensical, like when Allbrook sings “I’m thirty-five and I might start larping,” on the track “Black Lung,” which sounds like a wonderful mixture of Daft Punk and Black Sabbath.

The band’s musical prowess and proclivity for eclecticism is probably best seen on the track “(I’m) Stung,” the second track of the album. It combines drums, bass, electric and acoustic guitar with electronic instruments, like atmospheric orchestral synth pads, to form a four-minute, danceable song about a break-up. 

“I could’ve been your man / But damn, love’s so mean,” Allbrook sings over a squelching, acid-house-inspired electronic bassline. 

The seventh track, “Elf Bar Blues,” is a hazy instrumental track driven by a drum machine loop and featuring several layers of synths, samples and guitars, similar to the electronic psychedelia of Tame Impala, with whom Pond has closely collaborated in the past.

Since Pond was formed in 2008, many of its members have played with Tame Impala, including founding member Jay Watson who is still a touring member of Tame Impala. 

Kevin Parker, the man behind Tame Impala, played with and produced for Pond until 2019 when the band’s eighth album “Tasmania” was released. Although he no longer works with the band, the influence of the collaboration between the two musical groups is unmistakable.

The second half of “Stung!” is composed mostly of less energetic ballads, leaning heavily into softer, mellow tracks that become somewhat repetitive. However, the band’s signature experimentation and playfulness still shine through on tracks like “Edge of the World Pt. 3” and “Boys Don’t Crash.”

The beginning of the eight-minute track “Edge of the World Pt. 3” is an ethereal, jazz-inspired song featuring saxophone and flute parts, before shifting into a more synthesizer-heavy ending complete with an overdriven lead guitar. 

“Boys Don’t Crash,” the eighth track on “Stung!,” sees the band combine their modern sounds with influences of classic psychedelic rock. About halfway through the song, a flaming guitar solo, which sounds straight out of a Rush album, breaks out before fading out behind the synths. 

Although “Stung!” loses some of its energy as it nears its end, fans of psychedelic rock, pop, noise and musical experimentation are sure to find something to enjoy in this chaotic, yet mellow album.