10-05-2010, 21:30
released May 4th, 2010
![[Image: n80305pdddh.jpg]](http://image.allmusic.com/00/amg/cov200/drn800/n803/n80305pdddh.jpg)
from the album - Chaos
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FP5vHYRQT1I
from all music
The London dance-rock group New Young Pony Club initially featured Tahita Bulmer (vocals), Andy Spence (guitar), Igor Volk (bass), Lou Hayter (keyboards), and Sarah Jones (drums). Inspired by LCD Soundsystem, the Stranglers, and Gang of Four, the band arrived with the release of the Ice Cream 7" in February 2005. The limited-edition pressing of 1,000 copies sold out in just three days, fueling New Young Pony Club's growing popularity among the U.K. music press and chic blogs. A deal with Modular Recordings, home to Wolfmother, the Avalanches, and Van She, and a second single, "The Get Go," followed before the year's end, but NYPC was still aiming to break overseas. They got it when their biggest U.K. hit, "Ice Cream," was featured in the Intel Core 2 Duo television commercial in fall 2006. U.K. tour dates supporting Lily Allen followed in November. Fantastic Playroom, the group's first album, finally surfaced in 2007. Even considering the band's extensive subsequent touring, the wait for their second album, The Optimist, was a lengthy one; it was issued in 2010.
album review
By the time New Young Pony Clubâs second album, The Optimist, finally hit retailers in 2010, some pretty drastic changes had occurred. The band was no longer with Modular Records, it was basically down to a duo of vocalist Tahita Bulmer and multi-instrumentalist Andy Spence (though drummer Sarah Jones and keyboardist Lou Hayter do make cameo appearances), and most importantly, the adolescent swagger and goofiness of early songs like "Ice Cream" and "Jerk Me" had been replaced with a more subdued and adult feel. There is still plenty of spunk and snarl in Bulmerâs vocals, lots of angular funk in the rhythms, and more than enough hooks to go around, only this time there is a slick, studio-generated sheen on top of everything. Instead of the ESG influence that permeated Fantastic Playroom, perhaps a better reference this time would be Altered Images. And while they still channel Gang of Four at times, itâs more like late-period Gang of Four. This kind of retrenchment quite often spells doom for a band, with a tragically blanding out of its sound, removing the vital heart and inspiration that made it worth listening to in the first place. While a few NYPC fans who really loved "Ice Cream" might find The Optimist too smooth and a little studied at times, most people who hear the record will be won over by the high quality of the songs, Bulmerâs still captivating persona, and the tracks that have some of Fantastic Playroomâs dancefloor drive (like âWe Want Toâ and âChaosâ) and sass (âLost a Girlâ). NYPC's surprisingly light touch on the couple of ballads (âStone,â âArchitect of Loveâ) they drop in the mix is also a strong selling point, and shows a level of depth that was missing in the past. It might have been nice if some of the wobbly giddiness of their previous work had transferred over to The Optimist, but itâs clear that the band is a different entity now, with a slightly darker outlook on life. They could have totally botched the transition from happy party kids to grownups; instead, they managed the switch quite masterfully. The Optimist wonât make anyone forget Fantastic Playroom, but it does work as a nice complement and shows that the group may have some staying power.
Track Listing
1 Lost a Girl Bulmer, Spence 4:22
2 Chaos Bulmer, Spence 3:38
3 The Optimist Bulmer, Spence 5:33
4 Stone Bulmer, Spence 4:10
5 We Want To Bulmer, Spence 4:42
6 Dolls Bulmer, Spence 3:16
7 Before the Light Bulmer, Spence 5:27
8 Oh Cherie Bulmer, Spence 5:03
9 Rapture Bulmer, Spence 4:23
10 Architect of Love Bulmer, Spence 4:47
from the album - Chaos
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FP5vHYRQT1I
from all music
The London dance-rock group New Young Pony Club initially featured Tahita Bulmer (vocals), Andy Spence (guitar), Igor Volk (bass), Lou Hayter (keyboards), and Sarah Jones (drums). Inspired by LCD Soundsystem, the Stranglers, and Gang of Four, the band arrived with the release of the Ice Cream 7" in February 2005. The limited-edition pressing of 1,000 copies sold out in just three days, fueling New Young Pony Club's growing popularity among the U.K. music press and chic blogs. A deal with Modular Recordings, home to Wolfmother, the Avalanches, and Van She, and a second single, "The Get Go," followed before the year's end, but NYPC was still aiming to break overseas. They got it when their biggest U.K. hit, "Ice Cream," was featured in the Intel Core 2 Duo television commercial in fall 2006. U.K. tour dates supporting Lily Allen followed in November. Fantastic Playroom, the group's first album, finally surfaced in 2007. Even considering the band's extensive subsequent touring, the wait for their second album, The Optimist, was a lengthy one; it was issued in 2010.
album review
By the time New Young Pony Clubâs second album, The Optimist, finally hit retailers in 2010, some pretty drastic changes had occurred. The band was no longer with Modular Records, it was basically down to a duo of vocalist Tahita Bulmer and multi-instrumentalist Andy Spence (though drummer Sarah Jones and keyboardist Lou Hayter do make cameo appearances), and most importantly, the adolescent swagger and goofiness of early songs like "Ice Cream" and "Jerk Me" had been replaced with a more subdued and adult feel. There is still plenty of spunk and snarl in Bulmerâs vocals, lots of angular funk in the rhythms, and more than enough hooks to go around, only this time there is a slick, studio-generated sheen on top of everything. Instead of the ESG influence that permeated Fantastic Playroom, perhaps a better reference this time would be Altered Images. And while they still channel Gang of Four at times, itâs more like late-period Gang of Four. This kind of retrenchment quite often spells doom for a band, with a tragically blanding out of its sound, removing the vital heart and inspiration that made it worth listening to in the first place. While a few NYPC fans who really loved "Ice Cream" might find The Optimist too smooth and a little studied at times, most people who hear the record will be won over by the high quality of the songs, Bulmerâs still captivating persona, and the tracks that have some of Fantastic Playroomâs dancefloor drive (like âWe Want Toâ and âChaosâ) and sass (âLost a Girlâ). NYPC's surprisingly light touch on the couple of ballads (âStone,â âArchitect of Loveâ) they drop in the mix is also a strong selling point, and shows a level of depth that was missing in the past. It might have been nice if some of the wobbly giddiness of their previous work had transferred over to The Optimist, but itâs clear that the band is a different entity now, with a slightly darker outlook on life. They could have totally botched the transition from happy party kids to grownups; instead, they managed the switch quite masterfully. The Optimist wonât make anyone forget Fantastic Playroom, but it does work as a nice complement and shows that the group may have some staying power.
Track Listing
1 Lost a Girl Bulmer, Spence 4:22
2 Chaos Bulmer, Spence 3:38
3 The Optimist Bulmer, Spence 5:33
4 Stone Bulmer, Spence 4:10
5 We Want To Bulmer, Spence 4:42
6 Dolls Bulmer, Spence 3:16
7 Before the Light Bulmer, Spence 5:27
8 Oh Cherie Bulmer, Spence 5:03
9 Rapture Bulmer, Spence 4:23
10 Architect of Love Bulmer, Spence 4:47