Most of Bardo Pond's output during the 2010s appeared courtesy of Fire Records, and their debut for the label, as well as their first album of the decade, was a self-titled full-length which initially surfaced at the tail-end of 2010. While all of this makes it seem like the band were reaching a turning point in their career (which had already been going on for two decades at that point), the album doesn't quite sound like the beginning of a new chapter. Not that it really has to. Through dozens of albums, EPs, and limited releases, the group have offered subtle variations on their standard sound, ranging from distortion-crushed blues riffage to delicate, flute-laden psych-folk. Bardo Pond (the album) does all of this and more, starting out rustic and broken before eventually hitting on a sluggish shoegaze crunch a few minutes later. The album does have its structured, focused moments, particularly the concise "Don't Know About You," which features frontwoman Isobel Sollenberger's ear-catching declaration "Jesus is coming, but I'm willing to wait" over a bluesy bluster. Other times, as with many Bardo Pond albums, it can be difficult to discern if the band is warming up or if they're already in full flight. While the primarily acoustic "Sleeping" mostly lives up to its title, the group slowly stir during the 21-minute "Undone," and halfway through, they're at least lucid, if not quite fully awake and alert. The most exciting track might be "Cracker Wrist," which has a complex, winding rhythm reminiscent of Pink Floyd's prog side, and ends up slow and grinding when Sollenberger's soaring vocals emerge. After this astonishing release of some momentary pent-up aggression, the rest of the album is gloriously blissed-out. "The Stars Behind" is just an extraordinarily lovely burnout filled with smoldering guitars and ethereal flute. ~ Paul Simpson, Rovi

1		Just Once
2		Dont Know About You
3		Sleeping
4		Undone
5		Cracker Wrist
6		The Stars Behind
7		Waynes Tune