POM
Having grown up in different locations around the world from Singapore to Australia, UK guitarist POM is no stranger to influence and different approaches to playing. Honing his skills over many years of playing and taking influence from the likes of Paco De Lucia through to Eddie Van Halen, he has even gone so far as to spend time with Spanish Gypsies from the Camargue region of France in order to develop his personal style. Finally setting out to showcase his own skills, Sleepwalker is his debut album, destined to be released on March 26th of this year and an album which is going to make every guitarist out there want to curl up and be left alone.
From the opening moments of Deep Shift, one thing becomes very clear – this guy can play. Offering up some of the most intricate picking techniques I’ve come across in modern music and playing at a speed which most guitarists can only dream of, there are constant nods to classical and contemporary guitarists alike, throwing in picking, strumming and tapping at different moments in order to create a sound which is not only sublimely advanced, but accessible and easy to listen to. Blind Man continues this, once again throwing in some playing at speeds which will leave you questioning how a human can play at that speed! What’s most striking throughout these two tracks though is that you don’t notice the lack of vocals, there’s none in the music yet they’re not missed, it’s an achievement which few can manage yet it’s done here with aplomb.
It’s only when Propeller is upon us that any other instruments are ushered in, continuing this relaxed and restrained theme through Cowboy Junkie before once again showcasing what can be done simply with a guitar in Purple Room, another track simply featuring POM and his guitar work. Sleepwalker is a serious high point on the album though, and one which you must make sure you check out. Emotionally charged throughout and somehow telling the tale of lost love simply with a guitar and no vocals, this is a moment which demonstrates just how much emotion can be conveyed through the playing of an instrument. Anyone who is not struck by this track doesn’t understand the key ingredients of music, as what you’ve got on display here is a guitarist bearing their heart and feelings through music, and it’s a triumph.
Rodeo and Blind-Man continue the theme of the album, only hinting at vocals finally in Blind Man, although never actually allowing the vocals to serve more purpose other than bolstering the sound already created through the music. Most interestingly though is Re-Admit, a solo mandolin track (no not the kitchen equipment before anyone makes any wise cracks). Whilst the mandolin is largely over looked by modern musicians, what you’ve got here is a demonstration of how different a sound it creates, and how that sound can be crafted to create an almost eastern feel in a track, sounding deeper than a guitar yet somehow lighter and more bouncy. It’s a high point of a finish to an album, and one which leaves you gasping at how one man and a stringed instrument can create such immense music.
Having heard this album, I officially quit playing the guitar, simply because I’ll never reach this level. POM has taken an instrument that a lot of people think they can play, and used it to create music which most people will have never come across before, showing off both classical and contemporary skills and crafting tracks which showcase all of his variety of skills. Sure, there’s going to be the people that argue it’s simply a one man show, demonstrating how he can play, but there’s more to it than that. The tracks are emotionally laden and full of skills, always keeping things firmly melodic and crafting an album which is going to be returned to that CD player time and time again.
To find out more about POM, check out his website HERE.
Words: Dave Nicholls
From the opening moments of Deep Shift, one thing becomes very clear – this guy can play. Offering up some of the most intricate picking techniques I’ve come across in modern music and playing at a speed which most guitarists can only dream of, there are constant nods to classical and contemporary guitarists alike, throwing in picking, strumming and tapping at different moments in order to create a sound which is not only sublimely advanced, but accessible and easy to listen to. Blind Man continues this, once again throwing in some playing at speeds which will leave you questioning how a human can play at that speed! What’s most striking throughout these two tracks though is that you don’t notice the lack of vocals, there’s none in the music yet they’re not missed, it’s an achievement which few can manage yet it’s done here with aplomb.
It’s only when Propeller is upon us that any other instruments are ushered in, continuing this relaxed and restrained theme through Cowboy Junkie before once again showcasing what can be done simply with a guitar in Purple Room, another track simply featuring POM and his guitar work. Sleepwalker is a serious high point on the album though, and one which you must make sure you check out. Emotionally charged throughout and somehow telling the tale of lost love simply with a guitar and no vocals, this is a moment which demonstrates just how much emotion can be conveyed through the playing of an instrument. Anyone who is not struck by this track doesn’t understand the key ingredients of music, as what you’ve got on display here is a guitarist bearing their heart and feelings through music, and it’s a triumph.
Rodeo and Blind-Man continue the theme of the album, only hinting at vocals finally in Blind Man, although never actually allowing the vocals to serve more purpose other than bolstering the sound already created through the music. Most interestingly though is Re-Admit, a solo mandolin track (no not the kitchen equipment before anyone makes any wise cracks). Whilst the mandolin is largely over looked by modern musicians, what you’ve got here is a demonstration of how different a sound it creates, and how that sound can be crafted to create an almost eastern feel in a track, sounding deeper than a guitar yet somehow lighter and more bouncy. It’s a high point of a finish to an album, and one which leaves you gasping at how one man and a stringed instrument can create such immense music.
Having heard this album, I officially quit playing the guitar, simply because I’ll never reach this level. POM has taken an instrument that a lot of people think they can play, and used it to create music which most people will have never come across before, showing off both classical and contemporary skills and crafting tracks which showcase all of his variety of skills. Sure, there’s going to be the people that argue it’s simply a one man show, demonstrating how he can play, but there’s more to it than that. The tracks are emotionally laden and full of skills, always keeping things firmly melodic and crafting an album which is going to be returned to that CD player time and time again.
To find out more about POM, check out his website HERE.
Words: Dave Nicholls
