Pumice - Puny

(Soft Abuse, 2012)

1) Pum-ice [puhm-is] noun, verb, -iced, -ic-ing.

noun

1. also called pumice stone; a porous or spongy form of volcanic glass, used as an abrasive.
2. also called Stefan Neville; native New Zealander with a penchant for volcanic, glassy, often abrasive pop, amongst other sounds.  Distinguished by idiosyncratic charm and weirdness, languorously arranged wonderment, and a distinctive sonic palate happily hampered by a casual variety of miscued and failing audio equipment.

verb (used with object)

1. to rub, smooth , clean, etc., with pumice.
2. to listen to any given song recorded with Stefan Neville fingers; to be enraptured. 

2) Pu-ny [pyoo-nee] adjective, noun, -i-er, -i-est.

adjective

1. of less than normal size and strength; weak.
2. unimportant; insignificant; petty or minor:  a puny excuse.

noun

1. all-important 2012 album written and recorded by Pumice, aka Stefan Neville; characterized by signature Pumice-heavy sonority and album-length lean towards the pastoral.  Noted for (1) co-opting abrasive weakness for purposes of volcanic artistry and punitive strength, for (2) morose pumice-esque meanderings devolving into a paradoxically happy-gloominess, and for (3) attending to salvation-heavy methods of quasi-devotionalism with regard to "saving music" and "proving godlike artistry can still be accomplished"; magnum opus.

See also: Pumice "Hey Crap Crab"

Pumice 10"

Pumice
Pumice 10”
(2010, Doubtful Sounds)
RIYL = Black Pus, The Hospitals, The Goslings

How can I do proper justice to the man, Stefan Neville, and his exceptionally illustrious back catalog under the Pumice guise? It’s been a pretty pitch-perfect ride thus far, I must admit (though, often the pitch has been bent, mangled, twisted, screwed, chopped, tossed and burnt to a fine crisp in the process). Under the Pumice moniker, I would go so far as to say that the Neville is the gold standard for lo-fi music – no one does it better. So, it is both a glorious and a bit depressing that on this most recent Pumice 10” are the last recordings Mr. Neville recorded on his kingly 8-track. That being said, this release puts the classic genius of Pumice on glorious display. Side one offers us on “Fool fool fool moon,” ten minutes of grueling, shloptastic, punk-drone muck at a disjointed, grin-inducingly-lethargic pace, Neville’s kiwi-mumble permeating ceiling of the cut. It's prime evidence of Neville’s ability stretch out and pepper a track like no one’s business. Side two opens with a pillow of deep, bellowing bass heaviness, distorted guitar theatrics and echoing vocals that seem to be seeping in from an adjoining apartment. A concise pop-lengthed slab of lo-fi noise grumble in advance of the “pretty love song;” the strummy, jangle petter; the high-aspring closer; “The Screaming Heap.” I have no doubts about Pumice continuing to produce blitzed out masterpieces in the future – it seems that’s all Neville is able to conjure – but still, as a swan song to Pumice’s 8-track, the device that has brought as so much wonder and grit these past few years, this Doubtful Sounds 10” is simply immaculate.

-Thistle

Pumice on MySpace
on Doubtful Sounds

43.

Pumice
Pebbles
(Soft Abuse, 2007)

Stefan Neville, the man behind Pumice, is undoubtedly one of my very favourite individuals recording sounds in this decade. I am always ecstatic to hear his most recent concoctions. However, it was on Pebbles that I really knew that Stefan Neville was more than just a crafty clutterbugged noise-pop maestro. On Pebbles, Neville proved himself a rare genius with an album that spanned a multitude of genres while maintaining a singular and utterly blissful persona that I will cherish to my grave. Pumice has taught me that bedroom pop is best when it is chaotic with noise and earnest enthusiasm.

-Thistle

Pumice - Quo

Pumice
Quo
(06.2008, Soft Abuse)
Verdict = Rambling, crumbled bliss

One man rock deconstructionist Pumice follows up Pebbles, his much loved 2007 opus, with another slice of off-kilter New Zealander heaven from the Soft Abuse stable. Stefan Neville, the man behind the porous rock (pun intended!), never fails to impress. I mean, once you start to backtrack and uncover the guy’s staggering back catalog that has been created in just a few short years and then realize that there isn’t a blemish among the whole bunch you start to gain some perspective. The thing is, even with so much awesome work behind him, each new release feels as personal and humble an affair as the last making Neville that perfect kind of artist that feels both like an eclectic genius and an grinningly awkward friend. Quo follows along these lines perfectly dishing out eleven unassuming bedroom jam. In fact, Quo seems a lot more laid back than Pebbles. With tracks mostly brewing around the two to three minute mark, Neville has a fair, though loose grip on the reigns for this one. Where Pebbles found Neville dipping his toes liberally into every aspect of the muse he’s mastered, Quo finds Neville simply grabbing an inner tube and floating down a lazy river to submerge his feet. Don’t let this new more-off-the-cuff-than-before suit catch you off guard though because the feel and flow of Neville’s latest Pumice outing is beyond superb. Things are still identifiably Pumice, meaning the guitars are mangy, song structures are fractured and vocals swarming with a lo fidelity hum. Yep, Neville hasn’t lost his lovable signatures; he’s just allowed them a new kind freedom that bowls you over with a subtle, surprising impact, kinda like true love. Quo is that album. I’m trying to quit my tendency of prematurely exclaiming “best of 2008” nowadays, but rest assured, a years worth of new records won’t be context enough to show the glistening beauty of this album. Quo is a personal reminder of why I fell in love music in the first place.

-Mr. Thistle

Pumice - Pebbles

Pumice - Pebbles

Pumice
Pebbles
(2007, Soft Abuse)
10.0/10

You know those times when you listen to an artist for the first time only to completely surprised with a work of absolute creative perfection? It probably only happens once or twice a year, tops! Pumice has done it this year. Not only is this album in that field of genius but Pumice’s Pebbles is also in my "album of decade" category and onward beyond that. It's unabashedly spectacular beyond all reason. This is the kind of music that inspires cults. In my personal field of musical revelations this is up there with the first time I listened to Microphones’ The Glow Pt 2, Kallikak Family’s May 23rd 2007, Animal Collective’s Sung Tongs or The Books’ Lemon of Pink. And even still, Pumice is trying to prove himself as better than the former and almost anyone else I can think of. I could list the insanely influential and inarguably essential list of albums that Pumice seems to effortlessly and humbly belittle. I am sure that much of my mushy adorations come from personal preference (how can they not) but Pumice’s Pebbles is absolutely everything I want in an album. So what is this record, and who is this Pumice? New Zealander, Stefan Neville, is the one man wrecking machine responsible for the entire creation and Pebbles is his 3rd or so proper release amongst scores of recordings scattered everywhere. Once you hear this record you are going to think that this next statement is hilarious: Pebbles is Neville’s most refined production effort to date. The reason this is funny is because his recordings are soaked in a tub of TV static. In fact the whole DIY aesthetic makes it feel like the album is being held together by rolls of Scotch tape. Moving from the generally somber productions of his past recordings, Neville has actually recorded some fuzzed out booty shakers here on instrumental tracks like opener “Eyebath” and “Northland.” Pebbles reels from skuzzy instrumental rockabilly to damaged 60’s pop, to blissed-out, racket-filled drones to lo-fi folkish balladry that is all tied together in the most perfectly sequenced package that I have heard in a long while. It would take an absolute miracle of an album to remove this from my number 1 slot at the top of my year end list. I welcome any attempts…

-Mr. Thistle

Pumice - Northland