Pom Poko - “Enduro Corner”

SXSW 2022 - OEB Score: 9; Popularity Index: 4

Pairs Well With…Squid, Girlpool, Hinds

Pom Poko continued to etch out their unique rock sound on sophomore record Cheater, a record guided by indie rock, prog, dream pop, and post-punk influences as they set their own course with dense and catchy appeal. By twisting pop and rock tones into stranger territory, Pom Poko are able to be highly experimental while still producing upbeat rock and roll hooks. It’s an eclectic full-length that makes frequent turns instead of heading straight towards their destinations. A year out from Cheater’s release, Pom Poko are already looking forward with “Enduro Corner”, the first song from 2021 EP This Is Our House. A bouncy pop-rock number, it’s a noticeably sweet and breezy track that shows some softer, tighter sides of these intriguing Norwegian artists. (Kevin McStravick) 

2020 Review: Intense, jangly guitar rock form the basis of Pom Poko’s music, but instead of going for a modern rock or garage punk approach, their sound is consistently quirky and weird. Constantly changing with a prog-like mentality but recorded with DIY edge, Pom Poko’s music is equally challenging and catchy, dipping from hard rock to psych rock/pop territory on a dime. It’s something they often do within songs too like on “My Blood” and recent single “Leg Day”, transitioning from a vibrant, raucous verse into a paced, dream-pop chorus in a way that is far from jarring.