poolblood - mole review

mole is at times discordant, mostly shoegazey, with elements of bedroom pop.

poolblood is the alias of 20-something Toronto native Maryam Said - their album mole is their first full-length release since they first appeared on the scene four years ago. At times discordant, mostly shoegazey, with elements of bedroom pop, here’s my take of the record.

Opening track ‘<3’ sets the hazy, lowkey tone of the album. Simplistic guitar is layered with piano chords and imperfect croons to emulate the feeling of an open window on a balmy summer morning. ‘wfy’ is an extension of this sound, but here poolblood begins to tell a story, with lyrics imagining that “we could be alright” in a world where their lover holds them tight and never leaves.

‘shabby’ experiments with a soft (very soft) rock vibe, with light percussion and a super nice guitar melody carrying the song. ‘twinkie’ even more so - it feels almost like it’s taken straight out of a coming-of-age movie. There’s a seamless transition into ‘voyager’, so much so I didn’t realise the track had changed. I do feel that the album sounds very samey, but poolblood is clearly experimenting with their sound to see what sticks.

‘null’ takes on a more stripped-back approach, with orchestral resonances forming a base for poolblood’s often unharmonious lilts. Maybe it’s the use of minor chords, but there are some instances across the record where it sounds more off-key than on.

‘beam’ is my favourite track, purely instrumental with a grungy essence. Then into ‘sorry’, a downtempo apology between two estranged friends/lovers/whoevers. The final song ‘my little room’ is, at the time of writing, the record’s most streamed song on Spotify, evidently a fan favourite. It’s a tender introspective look at a certain time and place in poolblood’s life. Their room is their sanctuary, likely a place where many of these songs were written. At the almost 3-minute mark, horns and cello are introduced which offers a gorgeous, cacophonous close to the record.

In summary, though I’m not convinced this is a strong release (it could do with a more refining sound and a bit of variety), I like that it’s unpolished as it feels raw and real. I’m interested to see how poolblood’s sound develops.