Warsaw 480km is the debut LP from Irish/Portuguese quintet pôt-pot, who infuse the propulsive grooves of krautrock with a phosphorescent psych-rock radiance, all underscored by harmonium drones, hypnotic male-female vocal harmonies, and deep layers of rough-hewn texture. Evolved primarily from demos by multi-instrumentalist and lead vocalist Mark Waldron-Hyden during a period of grief and personal upheaval, the album came to life through a series of live, full-band studio sessions that document an exceptional array of talents, unified in an embrace of raw catharsis with a sweetly sinister edge.

“22° Halo” opens the record at a driving pace, elevated by searing amplifier tone and breathy, overdriven vocal harmonies from Waldron-Hyden, Sara Leslie, and Elaine Malone that seem to coo directly in your ear, at once intimate and detached. A narcotic haze develops beneath the taut drums and sinewy foreground, as dueling guitars threaten to erupt into frenzy but relent as the final seconds fade into fog. The understated arrangement of “Sextape” arose from a freeform jam, highlighting several of pôt-pot’s many strengths: melodious bass and laid-back drums create the framework for controlled feedback and honeyed vocals that are massive in their presence, yet still buoyant as a cloud above the steady pulse and swirls of vibrant, harmonic grace.

A defining element of Warsaw 480km is its impressive range of atmospheric topographies. As Waldron-Hyden recalls, “I wrote the first batch of songs while not really living in one place, so I think they have a kind of transient feel to them – developing them with the band helped me process an era in which I was emotionally freewheeling, so they remind me equally of the beautiful experience we shared as a creative unit, and of the difficult times that inspired them.” Lead single, “WRSW”, exemplifies this duality, as its rugged rhythmic backbone carries split-channel, tremolo guitars and a half-spoken vocal line in which the verse and chorus beautifully blur together.