Thread Rating:
  • 0 Vote(s) - 0 Average
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
New Young Pony Club - The Optimist
#1
released Mar 9th, 2010

[Image: new-young-pony-club-2.jpg]

from the album - Lost A Girl

YouTube - New Young Pony Club - Lost A Girl

from all music

The London dance-rock group New Young Pony Club feature Tahita Bulmer (vocals), Andy Spence (guitar), Igor (bass), Lou (keyboards), and Sarah Jones (drums). Inspired by LCD Soundsystem, the Stranglers, and Gang of Four, the band's stylish electro-disco blend 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 alike. A deal with Modular Recordings, home to Wolfmother, the Avalanches, and Van She, and second single, The Get Go, followed before the year's end, but NYPC was still aiming to break overseas. They got it when American indie fans got a taste of NYPC's energetic style when their biggest 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.

album review from musicomh

On the release of their 2007 debut Fantastic Playroom, New Young Pony Club were lumped into a Nu-Rave movement into which they didn't really fit. With the follow-up The Optimist, disco is out and their carefree pop has given way to a darker, more solemn feel. They pull it off pretty well, turning in an album that, if anything, sounds more natural than their debut.

Clues ahead of release suggested the onset of a new direction. While it's undeniable that their sound has developed, it's still instantly recognisable as theirs. As soon as the bass on opener Lost A Girl twangs the album into life, there's no mistaking that it is a New Young Pony Club song. And Chaos could be The Bomb Mk 2.

But with nods to Siouxsie Sioux on the excellent title track and to Toni Halliday on Before The Light, it's all gone post-punk goth with a pop ethic. Curve now seem to be the band that New Young Pony Club aspire to be. Criminally ignored in the early '90s, the handling of their style with a lighter touch might bring more attention to their dark, brooding sound.

The Optimist sounds like the output of a band that wants to distance itself from their already established identity. The songs on Fantastic Playroom were blunt objects that didn't lend themselves well to depth or subtlety; simply put, they'd have an idea and they'd put it into practice, often with some success. By contrast, this whole album holds together in a way that their debut didn't. It's a bold step forward that commands respect and suggests that they may have some longevity.

Yet this new material misses the magic sparkle of The Bomb or of Ice Cream, the two tracks that really cemented the band in the public's consciousness. Without those weapons at hand, it's difficult to see how they'll make the same kind of impact second time around.

Track listing

1."Lost A Girl" - 4:21
2."Chaos" - 3:39
3."The Optimist" - 5:36
4."Stone" - 4:10
5."We Want To" - 4:42
6."Dolls" - 3:16
7."Before The Light" - 5:28
8."Oh Cherie" - 5:04
9."Rapture" - 4:23
10."Architect Of Love" - 4:48

Reply


Possibly Related Threads...
Thread Author Replies Views Last Post
  NEW ALBUM: Bug Club - "very human features" CRAZY-HORSE 2 1,275 21-07-2025, 11:43
Last Post: CRAZY-HORSE
  NEW ALBUM: Lola Young - This Wasn't Meant For You Anyway Music Head 1 829 02-01-2025, 21:50
Last Post: Mellope
  NEW SONG: Lola Young - Messy Music Head 2 854 19-12-2024, 02:29
Last Post: Mellope
  NEW SONG: Chappell Roan - Pink Pony Club Music Head 0 852 01-07-2024, 11:36
Last Post: Music Head
  NEW ALBUM: Young Fathers - Heavy Heavy Music Head 0 634 04-01-2024, 12:30
Last Post: Music Head
  NEW SONG: Hozier - Eat Your Young Music Head 1 678 01-04-2023, 12:21
Last Post: CRAZY-HORSE
  NEW ALBUM: Young Fathers "heavy heavy" CRAZY-HORSE 0 458 04-02-2023, 03:41
Last Post: CRAZY-HORSE
  NEW ALBUM: Neil Young & Crazy Horse - "world record" CRAZY-HORSE 0 398 17-11-2022, 23:34
Last Post: CRAZY-HORSE
  NEW ALBUM: Tate McRae - Too Young To Be Sad Music Head 0 619 16-04-2021, 12:11
Last Post: Music Head
  NEW ALBUM: Lana Del Rey - Chemtrails Over The Country Club Music Head 1 564 01-04-2021, 12:55
Last Post: CRAZY-HORSE

Forum Jump: