Album Review: New Young Pony Club – The Optimist
- Written by Rosie Duffield
I remember seeing New Young Pony Club whilst I was at university a few years ago when they were touring with the NME on the same bill as CSS and the Klaxons. I was swept up on the nu-rave bandwagon and really liked their original, edgy sound. But then they sort of disappeared.
With only a hazy memory of their previous work (mainly ‘Ice Cream’), I was expecting more of the same; plinky-plonky '80s electro, nu-rave pop - and their new album The Optimist delivers, but on a larger scale.
First track ‘Lost A Girl’ is, in true NYPC style, quite jerky. On the first couple of listens, I thought the track had jumped. It’s something that takes a bit of getting used to, and the erratic theme continues throughout the album, whether it be mid-track, or a more abrupt ending.
‘Stone’ is slower, stripped down compared to the other tracks. In contrast, ‘We Want To’ is a an upbeat, almost anthemic track, with layered vocals and a brash bassline. Likewise, ‘Dolls’ is a spunky song full of sparky lyrics such as “We think you’re strange/so you act like a stranger" and "I thought I had a brain/I don’t seem to have one”.
Conversely, ‘Before The Light’ has a haunting tinge to it; it starts with an electro drum beat, soon joined by a bass line (both in double time, a bit like Donna Summer’s ‘I Feel Love’) that drives the song forward, before vocalist Tahita Bulmer’s echoey vocals come in. Add piano chords and lyrics like “Don’t look at me now/look at my intellect/The things I leave behind/Like footsteps” before the vocal jumps between octaves for the chorus, and before you know it the song has sucked you in.
After a couple of listens to the album, I realised who NYPC reminded me of. The '80s beats, keyboards and almost dissonant vocals could be likened to Roxy Music – particularly on the opening track ‘Lost A Girl’. This, and ‘Before The Light’, are the album’s beacon songs, but overall it’s a pretty strong album.
NYPC have evolved into a more mature version of themselves; the '80s influences are still evident, but they’ve lost some of that nu-rave ‘in your face’ attitude. That’s not to say they’ve lost their edge. In fact, the entire album is quite edgy, and New Young Pony Club’s sound is still fresh enough to stand out amongst a lot of the mundane bands being played at the moment.