With a name like Small Ponds, one might assume a band’s members are either genuinely modest or just mere simpletons. Let’s set it straight now — Small Ponds are the former.
Raleigh residents Caitlin Cary and Matt Douglas occupy a small yet humbly serene pond nestled in a picturesque valley and stay within its shores on their first release, Cailtlin Cary & Matt Douglas Are The Small Ponds. The duo takes a unique nominal approach in composing their splendidly unfeigned brand of nostalgia.
The EP ranges from the acoustic-handclap syndication on “Horse On A Bus” to the blues-tinged, dark-hearted concluding song “Gypsy Cards.” No matter the style for which they opt, the delicate harmonies with which Cary and Douglas furnish their work are winsome.
“Loneliness” is a dark-hearted ballad reminiscent of the latest Decemberists album, The Hazards of Love, full of strings and tandem-gendered singing, a true culmination of the duo’s talents.
Small Ponds create ripples of sheer organic virtue on every track, but as ripples eventually taper off, each track manages to idly lull to a degree.
An explanation may be the lack of a song under four minutes long. The listener’s investment into the somewhat prolonged tracks is spent on repeating choruses and unhurried progressions to the songs’ cores, and there are several instances where it feels like the Small Ponds could have cut to the chase.
Small Ponds has proven itself as a chemistry-driven pair with the potential to become a raw regional shining star. Cary’s and Douglas’ congruent talents unite on the EP to produce a tantalizing, tranquil gem.
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