''On the Ellipse'' is the sixth album by
Bardo Pond
Bardo Pond are an American psychedelic rock band formed in 1991, and who are currently signed to London-based label Fire Records. The current members are Michael Gibbons (guitar), John Gibbons (guitar), Isobel Sollenberger (flute and vocals), ...
and first for
ATP Recordings
ATP Recordings is a British independent record label that was started in 2001 by London-based concert promoter Barry Hogan of Foundation/All Tomorrow's Parties. It was originally created to bring out a compilation cd (ATPRCD01) after the Tortoi ...
. It was released on July 8, 2003.
Reception
Initial
Heather Phares of ''
Allmusic
AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...
'' called the album "
other triumph" for the band, on which "they continue to top themselves even if they're no longer among the most fashionable vanguard of underground rock." She went on to describe it as a more accessible and "much moodier" work, and hailed the track "JD" as "an instant career highlight. Beginning with a relentless drone that switches between harsh and beautiful as it unfurls, the song lures the listener with five minutes of gentle acoustic guitars and Sollenberger's dreamy, brooding singing before unleashing a quintessentially Bardo Pond onslaught of distortion and drums."
Both
Brainwashed
Brainwashed may refer to:
*Brainwashing, to affect a person's mind by using extreme mental pressure or other methods
Film and television
* ''Brainwashed'' (film), a 1960 German film
* '' Brainwashed: Sex-Camera-Power'', a 2022 American documenta ...
and ''
Comes with a Smile'' called it the band's best effort, with the latter's reviewer Ian Fletcher writing: "Nowhere is feedback more melancholic, more emotive, than that fashioned by Bardo Pond. And their misty depths have never been more tempting than here and now."
A more mixed reception came from
''Pitchfork'', which published a joke review written by staff member Andrew Bryant in lieu of a proper one.
gave the album 3-stars out of 5, writing that while the band did improve with age, they were "
riving a little hard for cosmic resonance, perhaps".
[
]
Retrospective
In a retrospective review published in 2020, JR Moores of ''Record Collector
''Record Collector'' is a British monthly music magazine focussing on rare and collectable records, and the bands who recorded them. It was founded in September 1979 and distributes worldwide. It is promoted as "the world’s leading authority o ...
'' gave the album a perfect score, calling the comparatively "lusher and mellower" album "breathtakingly beautiful" and even "life-changing".[
]
Track listing
#"J.D." – 7:24
#"Every Man" – 8:59
#"Dom's Lament" – 6:45
#"Test" – 9:51
#"Walking Clouds" – 7:12
#"Night of Frogs" – 12:56
Personnel
*Isobel Sollenberger – Vocals, Flute, Violin
*Michael Gibbons – Guitar, Producer
*John Gibbons – Guitar, Synthesizer, Percussion
*Clint Takeda – Bass
*Ed Farnsworth – Drums
References
{{Authority control
2003 albums
Bardo Pond albums
ATP Recordings albums