ninehertz

Here's something a little different for us, it's psychedelic rock yes, but not our norm - it isn't heavy psych, nor weirdo crazed freak outs; this is pretty chill, art rock styled. The only reason it even crossed my path was by chance - early in the year I felt gig-starved, little going on in Sheffield that caught my eye, so I cast a wider net and end up at a regular indie gig night, where Population II are headlining. They were, to my absolute surprise, superb. They're from Montreal, supported the mighty Slift in France before they hit the UK, and the wait between my in the flesh revelation and this album releasing has been worth it.

There are fourteen tracks here, primarily on the tranquil end of the sound, but using the length of the album well to offer subtlyle change. Prévisions is the first to make an impression, it goes 'out there' into the stars, not with reckless motorik abandon, more a lethargic shuffle - it is undeniably blissful. Jump to Haut-fond which oozes cool, the addition of keyboards adding another layer to the low lying air streams. There is energy injected on La Trippance, changing up and losing nothing whilst doing so. Six tracks in and I'm still trapped in the spell of the album.

There are four tracks under two minutes, which aren't fully rounded songs, but more than just filler. They act as bridges between their neighbouring tracks, but also existing in their own right, and act to open up the whole album to a wider palette. The deft variance is furthered, such as on Le thé est prêt when a smidgeon of garage rock grit appears, just a touch, mixed with a bit of almost loungey feel and faint strains of The Stone Roses' Waterfall. If you had to pick a track, then perhaps Mariano (Jamais je ne t’oublierai) would be the one which represents the album in single form, it has an arty indie feel, mellow before it opens up with a lithe, slinky expressiveness and amenable aura.

Comparing Maintenant Jamais to my early contenders for albums of the year, the ferocious such as those by This Gift is a Curse, Cross Bringer or Rwake - or even closer to the mark with some of my favourite psychedelic releases so far - Skloss, Over-Gain Optimal Death, Rwake - and even I would think that Population Deux weren't for me. But, by a chance live viewing I was intrigue enough to wait for this to arrive, and from just the first run through I was hooked. It is a superbly realised album that is at times beautiful.