New Young Pony Club's "The Optimist"
New Young Pony Club have changed since the 2007 release of their debut album Fantastic Playroom; not only has bassist Igor Volk left the band and the band have left their record label to start one of their very own (‘The Numbers’), but their sound has also gone through a distinct change. As the name suggests, their first album was full of playful pop-rock led by Tahita Bulmer’s signature playground-style vocals. In The Optimist the vocals are a lot more powerful and the overall sound of the album is generally a lot darker. The Ponies have perhaps moved on from writing music that hasn’t much meaning and focuses simply on being enjoyable as certain parts of their second album delve into previously ignored emotional territories. Highlights from the album include the perfectly structured We Want To with an instantly infectious keyboard riff and chorus chanting, “We want to, I don’t want to do any of this without you”; and Dolls, an upbeat anthem backed by Sarah’s strong and pounding drums.
NYPC have had a lot of work self-producing, self-funding and self-releasing an album that had a lot to live up to, but it definitely paid-off and the quality of music hasn’t been compromised in any way. Even if you weren’t too sure about their debut, you should definitely give The Optimist a listen and it may surprise you.
4/5 – One away from perfect!
The Optimist is released on March 8th in the UK.
Track listing: 1. Lost A Girl 2. Chaos 3. The Optimist 4. Stone 5. We Want To 6. Dolls 7. Before The Light 8. Oh Cherie 9. Rapture 10. Architect Of Love
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