Pom Poko

Pom Poko sounds like a cartoon character having a breakdown in a high-end jazz club. Their music is a dizzying collision of sweet, sing-song vocal melodies and instrumental arrangements that are intentionally difficult, jagged, and loud. It is the sound of four highly trained musicians deciding to use their technical mastery to make the most colorful, chaotic noise possible.

What sets them apart is the 'push-pull' dynamic between Ragnhild Fangel Jamtveit’s airy, almost innocent vocals and the band's aggressive, math-inflected rhythmic shifts. One moment you are listening to a catchy indie-pop hook, and the next, the guitar is stabbing at you with dissonant chords while the drums pivot into a complex time signature. It is music that feels like it might fly off the rails at any second, yet it remains perfectly controlled.

Start with the album 'Cheater' to hear them at their most refined and explosive. It captures their ability to balance noise and melody better than almost anyone in the modern post-punk scene. It is the perfect entry point for anyone who likes their pop music with a significant amount of grit and a restless, creative spirit.