One of the best things about music is its ability to paint a picture, to pull on the strings of nostalgia and elicit specific images and feelings unique to each listener. New York artist Porches (Aaron Maine) has always seemed to do this with ease, and the ambiguous imagery continues on his second studio album, Pool.
In Porches’ first album, Slow Dance in the Cosmos (2013), Maine makes use of a mix of live instrumentation, through both electric and acoustic guitar (see the songs: “Skinny Trees” and “Xanny Bar”), as well as a dash of electronic elements — bassy synth and electronic drum tracks (“After Glow”). Maine created the sound that is now so inherently Porches in Slow Dance: a dark, ominous, intensely emotional sound that still brushes against tenderness and intimacy.
In Pool, which came out on Feb. 5, Porches amplifies this very distinct, visceral style of songwriting by turning the tables: adopting a slew of electronic music elements and forgoing live instrumentation, with only a few, sparse exceptions, like the saxophone in “Shaver” and guitar in “Car.”
The overall picture that Pool paints isn’t necessarily concrete, but mostly draws forth imagery of pure darkness contrasted with some sort of vibrancy — imagery that tangentially connects the dark elements of Maine’s musical style with the warmer melodic and lyrical content.
When listening to Pool, it is easy to picture a dark, smoke-filled club with neon lights muffled by the haze, or driving past city lights late at night, something included in the music video for “Hour.” 
Regardless of what the specific imagery is, Porches’ music has always had the ability to latch on to its listener and portray something much bigger than just a composite of sounds.   
Pool‘s opener “Underwater,” is led by airy synthesizer and groove-heavy, Tame Impala-esque bass. Even though it’s easy to pick out other artists’ influences in the instrumentals of “Underwater” and other tracks on the album, as soon as Maine’s unmistakable croon enters, it’s clear that this song couldn’t have been crafted by anyone else.
Though Porches’ use of solely electronic elements is cold and mechanical in some ways, Maine’s personal and passionate songwriting easily warms it. Maine’s girlfriend, Greta Kline (aka Frankie Cosmos), adds floating, echoing backing vocals on many of Pool’s tracks that pull in a sense of affection and closeness that can sometimes be difficult to generate in electronic-pop music.
Pool sticks to its namesake, providing a fluid, immersive mass of songs. The release also serves as proof that regardless of what musical styling Porches chooses to undertake, the feeling and overall vibe produced will undoubtedly be Porches.
Pool seamlessly grasps at delicacy and intensity in equally forceful attempts, making it a clearly enjoyable release from first listen, and one sure to linger on after the last song.
Watch the music video for “Hour” from Pool here: