Warsaw 480km [LP] (Cherry Red Vinyl)

Pot-Pot - Warsaw 480km [LP] (Cherry Red Vinyl)

Warsaw 480km is the debut LP from Irish/Portuguese quintet pot-pot, who infuse the propulsive grooves of krautrock with a phosphorescent psych-rock radiance, all underscored by harmonium drones, hypnotic male-female vocal harmonies, and deep layers of rough-hewn texture. Evolved primarily from demos by multi-instrumentalist and lead vocalist Mark Waldron-Hyden during a period of grief and personal upheaval, the album came to life through a series of live, full-band studio sessions that document an exceptional array of talents, unified in an embrace of raw catharsis with a sweetly sinister edge._x000B__x000B_A defining element of Warsaw 480km is its impressive range of influences and atmospheric topographies. As Waldron-Hyden describes, I wrote the first batch of songs while not really living in one place, so I think they have a kind of transient feel to them developing them with the band helped me process an era in which I was emotionally freewheeling, so they remind me equally of the beautiful experience we shared as a creative unit and the difficult times that inspired them.a Lead single, WRSWa, exemplifies this complexity, as its rugged rhythmic backbone carries tremolo guitars, woozy harmonium, and a half-spoken, Lou Reed-indebted vocal line in which the verse and chorus beautifully blur together._x000B__x000B_Above all, Warsaw 480km is an album that achieves its richness and aura from deliberate economy, as Waldron-Hyden explains, Ollie [Oliver Smith] and Sara [Sara Leslie] are experts at getting the most out of one pedal, a shitty amp, and a guitar they borrowed, a result of innate talent and years of experience; they use some modulation for dronier passages, but itas their playing styles and understanding of a˜the vibethat are the secret ingredients.a This kind of intuitive connection and collaboration is incredibly rare, and with these ten pieces, pot-pot accomplish something truly rapturous as they alchemize deep pain into a luminous reverie.