Small Pond - Small Pond Presents: Vol III (2023) Hi-Res

If you view their website Brighton-based Small Pond are a multi-faceted music business with community driven values. Indeed so, as they release the latest instalment in the series of the Small Pond Presents with their `Emerging Vol. 3` compilation album. On this offering we have sixteen talented young acts (aged 16-25) from Brighton and the South of Englandwho were giventhe opportunity to rehearse, record, and release their music via Small Pond’s professional studio, label, and PR set-up.

First up is Dom, Callum, David, and Tom who make up Southampton emo four piece MAXWELLTHEBAND according to their face book site, who share `Bic Lighter` an upbeat fairly fast paced slice of post-punk with a rhythmic driving drumbeat and grinding guitar riffs with shared vocals that have a kind of questioning / searching texture about them. Next up is Prom a three-piece emotional-hardcore band whose members Jack Smith, Sam Allen and Alessandro Cogolo are all ex-members of CUTTING TIES and are on a mission to bring emotional-hardcore back to the UK’s rapidly growing hardcore/metal scene. Their track `Fancy word for addiction` grows in stature and volume as it comes to life and is a sure fire offering to kick off a circle pit at any live outing.

Social media coughed up that Leibniz are a queer-fronted grunge/alt-rock band from Brighton, and their track `Cold And Calculated` was a delightfully dreamy meld of guitar based alt rock that really draws you into it`s web. Their name intrigued me but the only thing I could discover was Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz who was a German polymath active as a mathematician, philosopher, scientist, and diplomat, who was called the “last universal genius”. `Scream and Cry` by Ahsoka was another fairly mesmerising listen with a fairly tribal beat at times and vocals that I found wonderfully enticing, sadly I couldn`t find anything about this band on the world wide web.

Brighton-based Currls are garage rock punksters who are gaining a fair bit of press interest and their track `April Fool` I read, is an ode to confusion in relationship, the frustration of not knowing where you stand with someone and was written as far back as 2015/16. It had a foot tapping combative, nigh on confrontational intensity about it. We enjoy ninety seconds of mayhem from Electric Cowboy Club with `Reality` a slice of trashy rock’n’roll come punk rock from this Brighton quintet.

`The Gorbachev` from Gurf may have been a tribute to the Soviet Union`s last president Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev, who knows but it`s an eclectic mix of styles from hard rock, and ska to electronic dance and is superbly enticing. I was pretty shocked to discover that it may be the brainchild of a one man beatmaker, curator, and dj.

`…And Bleed` is a slice of heads down no nonsense heavy boogie from Brighton quartet How Long You Been Driving who describe themselves as Nu Blud Metallic Hardcore for the goofy kids.

City Dog are a Brighton punk grunge trio who share `A Circus` which could easily stack up against any of Seattle`s forefathers. `Thoughtless` from Brighton five piece atticOmatic is anything but. It`s a mesmerising hypnotic blend of trippy nigh on psychedelia with elements of R&B, hip-hop, jazz, electronica, and indie-pop. A band whose strapline is `Feeding feeling into the formless`.

Peach Season share `Been Thinking` an upbeat dreamy number that is made for a Summer`s evening as the day fades and we look forward to what the night has to offer. The vocals have a mesmerisingly soothing but magnetic texture. There`s a similar soulful vibe to `Lifeline` from MacEvoy, another outfit that seem to fly beneath the radar.

The wonderfully named Psychic and Wellbeing Event serve up `Bit` which is at times tranquil, quaint, and most of all curious. `30 Days` is an absorbing and appealing stripped back folk tinged introspective submission from Markus Kan with some beguiling strings adding a further poignancy to this number.

ALY shares a fairly intensive offering with `Indecisive` that is a fusion of folk and possibly Middle Eastern influences which stops, starts, and sways as it evolves and grows with a voice that has such an inviting allure. `Sugar Cereal` from Brighton based songwriter and producer Ben Williams who records under the Rainy Day Café moniker closes out this compilation. An enjoyable quite melodic earworm of a number to end on.

I have to say that there`s something about compilations that really floats my boat and here i`ve discovered sixteen bands that i`m hoping I may get to see one day if they venture up to the West Midlands. What is it about the East Essex coast that has created, for me, sixteen undiscovered gems. All I can say is thank you Small Pond for having the foresight to assemble just under an hour`s worth of unsurpassable pure pleasure.