The past decade has seen the music scene in Portland, Oregon exploding into one of the most prolific in North America, breeding bands such as The Decemberists, The Thermals and 31 Knots. Although Point Juncture, WA has been together for five years now, their latest album, Heart to Elk, has the potential to elevate them above the shadows to the indie stardom status of their Portland peers and elders. Blending an impossible to identify number of styles and genres, Heart to Elk simultaneously has familiar and fresh characteristics resulting in a record that feels like an old favorite.

Portland being such a diverse music scene containing a wide variety of artists, it was only a matter of time before a group embodying such a range of sonic stylings came along. That band is Pont Juncture, WA. A somewhat unknown band outside of Portland, Point Juncture, WA stand to expand their fan base astronomically with their third album, Heart to Elk, recorded over the course of a year in the band’s basement. While sticking fairly closely to indieland, the group combines virtually every characteristic that defines the extremely varied genre into a sort of amalgamation, including indie pop, rock and folk. The band’s sound is even more diversified due to the shared vocal duties split between drummer Amanda Spring and keyboardist Victor Nash, resulting in an unavoidable Yo La Tengo comparison.

The catchy pop melodies of Heart to Elk are numerous and enjoyable, hidden as they may be beneath seemingly unusual instrumentation. Taking cues from acts My Bloody Valentine and Blonde Redhead, many songs such as “New Machine” and “Once Tasted Ever Wanted” are drowned in guitar effects and fuzz. What sets these tracks apart from the aforementioned bands’ music is how flawlessly they transition between a BRH/MBV style of indie rock to pop akin to Belle & Sebastian. The lovely vocal melody of “Biathalon” soars above a mess of distortion and dissonant guitar wails - two opposing characteristics that the band once again manages to blend effortlessly. Similarly, the slow starting “Stray Bear” bursts suddenly into a cacophonous climax of guitar noise until it simmers down slightly, ending with a less jarring melody.

Near the middle of Heart to Elk sits the highlight of the album, “Sick on Sugar”. Spring and Nash’s harmonized vocals coupled with the upbeat, catchy guitar tune echoes the brilliance of Welsh pop peasants Los Campesinos! Although gorgeous throughout (due primarily to Spring’s vocal performance), the song is lifted to its pinnacle through the triumphant outro that brings all of Point Juncture, WA’s best qualities together: melodic shoegaze guitar, rhythmic drumming and soaring trumpet.

While the influences of a variety of artists come into play throughout the album, the true diversity of Heart to Elk comes into the light on “Kings Part II” and “Fleet and Small.” Although beginning with an energetic tribal-like drum beat, “Kings Part II” benefits from a strummed acoustic guitar with accompanying trumpet. These three components result in the most unexpectedly beautiful outcome when played beneath Amanda Spring’s soft serenade. “Fleet and Small” has the band replacing guitar riffs and bass lines with chirping birds and a repeating vocal harmony during the opening half of the song. Strangely enough, the substitution fits in perfectly among the rest of the record.

On first listen, Point Juncture, WA’s Heart to Elk sounds like something you have heard before played in such a way that’ll leave with only an inkling of familiarity by record’s end. The variety of sounds on this album allows the listener to merely sit back and enjoy combined influences from so many of indie’s finest artists. Possibly a result of living together and being such a closely knit group, Point Juncture, WA manages to explore numerous styles and moods ranging from the gradually building “Melon Bird” and beautifully disguised “Biathalon” to the bitter, melancholy tones of “Sioux Arrow”. Somehow, Point Juncture, WA achieves a stunningly perfect balance between all aspects of pop and rock, from twee to shoegaze. Although bearing countless similarities to other bands such as Broken Social Scene or Headlights, Heart of Elk contains a freshness that will have you replaying this album over and over. Point Juncture, WA manages to masterfully complete a jigsaw puzzle where the pieces are musical styles; the result is Heart to Elk.

Track List

1. Rocks and Sand 3:06
2. Once Tasted Ever Wanted 4:02
3. New Machine 3:58
4. Biathalon 3:39
5. Sioux Arrow 5:35
6. Kings Part II 3:47
7. The Kings Were Good 2:26
8. Sick On Sugar 2:45
9. Melon Bird 5:42
10. Stray Bear 3:24
11 . Fleet and Small 4:07
12. Viking Mission to Mars 2:12
13. The Easy Winners 4:50