“
Fans of Richard Hell, Sonic Youth, Gang of Four, Echo and the Bunnymen, Joy Division and more recently Bloc Party, Wolf Parade and My Morning Jacket will absolutely love this album.
”“
Fans of Richard Hell, Sonic Youth, Gang of Four, Echo and the Bunnymen, Joy Division and more recently Bloc Party, Wolf Parade and My Morning Jacket will absolutely love this album.
“
The Ponys – Celebration Castle
In The Red Records
Original European Release Date: 11/05/2005
Celebration Castle is the second release from this Chicago garage rock alternative outfit The Ponys. Not only do I love their name (I’ve loved horses and ponies since I was a wee thing) I love their sound; Raw, vintage dark toughness. The LP was recorded and produced by Steve Albini, which makes sense as to its garagey grunge Seattle roots. Just about everything from the early 90’s sounded similar to this. For me this period was the most influential music periods of my life. I living away from home for the first time at a boarding school in up-state NY and music became a new found freedom. Most importantly, I made the transition from a fascination with ponies to an obsession with music and boys.
Rhythmically groovy, each track on Celebration Castle is familiarly fresh and the apathetic moaning of singer/guitarist Jered Gummere is as much ambitious as it is emotionally soothing. The song Glass Conversation opens the album with a huge Sonic Youth-like force. I’m With You starts off with a whole line of handclaps, which will reel me into any song. Lyrically, it’s adorable – sung by Ian Adams who left the band shortly after this album was released. Adams also returns for the haunting Shadow Box, which is a punk-grunge blow-out that would surely make old grandpa Neil Young shed a tear. Discoteca isn’t just a great name for a song, it also boasts a fabulous jingle jangle feel. There are some really great soloing moments throughout the album, I especially like the surf solo in Ferocious and the harmonica solo in Get Black. Get Black is their party song and it has this anthem vibe, obviously borrowed from AD/DC. And I have to say I also really like She Broken, sung by bassist Melissa Elias. All the songs have this adolescent dream like charm. The album as a whole is fantastic, as each song rumbles into the next. I can listen – and have listened – to Celebration Castle for hours upon hours.
Fans of Richard Hell, Sonic Youth, Gang of Four, Echo and the Bunnymen, Joy Division and more recently Bloc Party, Wolf Parade and My Morning Jacket will absolutely love this album.
-Zoe E. Gottehrer
(Rating: 8.5 out of 10)