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 Everett True

Song of the day – 379: Pony (a mini-review)

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Pony

Finally got round to clearing my desk today. Covered in dust, the back was. Covered with CDs, the front was, calling out to be loved. Started uploading a whole bunch of them onto my hard drive to facilitate listening, and tuned in.

The first one from the batch is a real gem. I gave it priority because of who sent it to me: Tammy, formerly of forgotten British Riot Grrrl band Linus (one of the original three or four). Her band stood out then because they unsettled, had a distance from the others. Hard to pin down. That’s probably why no one venerates them now. (They ought’a.) Tammy asked for my address a while back, because she has a label. And I trust her taste, because though her label never put out too many releases in the past, I appreciated them. All of them. Not brash. Not in your face. Selective. With dignity. (I Forgot) To Turn You On, Pony’s debut album, is their first release since 2006.

Pony is Audrey, is a Canadian songwriter from Toronto, now based in the Netherlands. Her music is sparse, striking. It’s melodic, in the way bands on Stitch-Stitch Records or Vale Poher are melodic, or Ros’ spin-off bands from Electrelane are melodic. The instruments are given room to breathe. (I know instruments can’t breathe.) If this was 1978, the melodica would be the main instrument. It’s 2011, and so Audrey is having a lot of fun with analogue electronica. (I’m also reminded a little of Lispector.) The mood is melancholy but not sad. Not sad at all. There’s a sense of delight in exploration: circular piano motifs and playful wind instruments.

So yeah, Pony. Out there, you know who you are and whether you’ll like this. I think you will. Give them a listen.

You’re going to have to run those extra 100 metres if you want to hear this special, hidden, magical music.

And here’s Ray Rumours for you.

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