Ponytail: Ice Cream Spiritual

Label: We Are Free

By expertly mixing elements of old-school punk, surf music and untamed experimental indie rock, the whippersnappers of Baltimore quartet Ponytail have managed to create something quite sonically refreshing and unique on their second album, Ice Cream Spiritual. The strongest tracks on the record “7 Souls” and “Small Wevs” bring to mind the 1980s art-rock of Bow Wow Wow and Gang of Four with Molly Siegel’s erratic yelping, upbeat drums rolls, angular guitar riffs and reverberated melodies, as “G Shock” knocks down the stunned listener with a chaotic wall of noise and ferocious rhythms. For all this sonic assault, the strength of the songwriting still manages to shine on Ice Cream Spiritual, as Ponytail capture the convulsive energy of their live shows and mix it with a funky dissonant vibe. (Morgane)