Every so often, a band comes along with a sound that just screams integrity and manages to captivate the listener not only by the sheer magnitude of their material, but also by how distanced they are from their peers. Pome are one of those bands, taking the perhaps the basic fundamentals of the emo genre, and looking both forward and back, enlisting the atmospheric flourishes of artists like dredg, Failure and Shun and combining them with the melodic elements of the darker side of the 80's ala The Cure and Depeche Mode.

Band frontman Nathan Labadie's highly emotive voice just drips with passion as he croons out his intellectually written lyrics with an invigorating style of depressed anguish, coated with a biting edge that is full of intensity. Choosing to hum and softly speak his verses rather than scream or gloss them over, his sullen tones manage to strike a chord as they touch upon a side of verbal harmonies not seen often in recent years. Band guitarist Joe Gonzalez's playing is jaw dropping, rich with dynamics; loose distortion; spiraling notes and atmospheric plunges, the songs enrapture, leaving the listener in a daze. After hearing his playing it also comes as no surprise that Joe's past outing was none other than Cleanse, a shortly lived emocore outfit who wrote some of the most inspiring music to come out of the depths of their native Sacramento, CA in quite some time. Meanwhile, bass wise the CD is a bit modest, working closely with the drums to craft a thick rhythm section that trudges along at a calm pace, leaving the vibrant guitar work and ever intriguing vocal structures ample time in the spotlight.

Listening to Pome's music is more of an experience than your usual cathartic auditory release. It just touches upon so many different aspects and sounds that its hard not to just sit back and struggle to take it all in. With song ideas that become a voyage through the depths of the sonic spectrum, this CA based four piece seem so at ease pushing the envelope, taking the listener on journeys full of numerous highs and lows. Perhaps its the timing of it all, but the influences the band wear on their sleeves seem fresh and new once again in this world of rap/rock clones. It's extremely ambient, yet also relentlessly organic, all the while possessing enough aggression to generate a dark energy. With lyrics like "birth me, perverse me, pack haul and hearse me, dress my corpse in American lies", it can also tend to be a bit cerebral and rife with visceral lyrical imagery. Admittedly, the band are still a bit rough around the edges and the songs laid down here don't feel as though they've reached their full potential, almost leaning towards being avant garde a bit at times. But when considering that they've only been a solid unit for a period that is just under a shade of half a year, these shortcomings are expected and if anything suggest that this band will inevitably become something amazing as they mature out of their infancy stages. In fact, "Sleep Noise" may be perhaps the most ironic title of all as the material here is inspiring enough to jolt even the most jaded listener awake. So, while the bulk of the current music scene continues to liberally take ideas and influence from each other, its bands like Pome, who come out of nowhere and sound so invigorating, that truly manage to break the mold.