The sound of POPULATION II has always had its charm—frantic psych rock infused with prog elements, pulling off five twists in two seconds. But stretched over an entire album, it often felt overwhelming, almost exhausting, as the Canadian band set everything ablaze.
With Maintenant Jamais (Bonsound), that changes. Producer Dominic Vanchesteing helped POPULATION II find focus, and their third album finally places them exactly where we’ve always wanted them to be.
The psych-prog elements remain, but the excessive twists are gone. Instead, the record is dominated by loose, warm grooves wrapped in expansive soundscapes. The more breakneck moments are woven in carefully, resulting in a fantastic feel-good album.
Where there was once chaos, there’s now a sense of ease. POPULATION II operate with clear vision and steady hands. Prévisions builds steadily toward an explosion but holds back, following a precise plan rather than scattering in every direction.
Haut-fond is beautifully immersive, Le thé est prêt flows effortlessly. And when escalation does come, it’s controlled—take La Trippance, for example. More of this, please.
POPULATION II – Maintenant Jamais: Tamed Wildness. – RIFL