Kevin Bronson on February 17th, 2021

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Lisa Sonoda takes seriously the therapeutic qualities of the dream-pop made by her eponymous ensemble Sonoda. In fact, she calls the music “meditative pop.”

She begins and ends performances by chanting “Om,” and surrounded by crystals, salt lamps, candles, flowers, singing bowl, tingshas and chimes, Sonoda’s shimmering guitars and synths are truly meditative. Sonoda began as a vehicle for her ambient music, expanding to a full band (now Adrian Garcia on synth and guitar, Eddie Ramos on drums and Jacob Maag on bass) to eventually release “Half-Life” and “The Mark” in 2019.

“Point of View” is the band’s new single, out via Terrible Records’ Flexible Distribution. Sonoda’s cascading vocal melody washes up to the most pressing of the song’s queries: “Are we holding onto something of no use? / Maybe letting go is all we need to do?”

“For a meditative pop band,” Sonoda says, “‘Point of View’ is our most chaotic song yet. Written in early 2020, it reflects the stirring of our collective unconscious and entangling questions that life winds (or unwinds). The lyrics offer a reflective state of mind to ponder meaning and understanding amidst this buzzing and thunderous landscape. Everything happens for a reason, and we can always learn from our experiences — good and bad. Similarly, the meditative perspective in ‘Point of View’ clears a path for listeners to find the beauty and purpose of difficult times that lead to a brighter beginning, even if they haven’t reached it yet.”

||| Stream: “Point of View”

||| Previously: “Here We Are Now (Songs From a Short Film)”