Snowpony
The Slow-Motion World Of...
[Radioactive]
Rating: 5.9
When I first heard about a new band called Snowpony that had Katherine
Gifford (former guitarist for Stereolab) and Debbie Googe (former bassist
for My Bloody Valentine) in it, I had a three- foot strand of drool
hanging from my lower lip. True, I was on a heavy dose of muscle
relaxants at the time (I always keep them handy in case I strain myself
moving a heavy box, which I also keep handy), but the offending spittle
was aided by my excitement at the possibilities of this group. My Bloody
Valentine- heads like myself are always hungry for some new product, even
if it's by a second- tier member like Googe. And combining her talents
with a Stereolab alum seemed just about perfect. Throw in studio whiz and
Tortoise frontman John McEntire at the producer's desk, and you have an
particularly appetizing combination of ingredients.
Ten listens later my mouth has dried up and my back is a little sore. The
album is decent, but there's little here that feels innovative or
particularly moving. A couple of songs (like the terrific "John Brown")
are wonderfully poppy in a weird kind of way, and the odd harmonies take
your focus off of the somewhat cliched lyrics. But when Snowpony slow down
on "St. Lucy's Gate" the excitement of the premise seems almost justified;
the track has a slow, brooding trip-hop feel, with an interesting backwards
guitar sample adding tension that the rest of the album lacks.
Elsewhere things are just okay. Snowpony winds up being Gifford's band
(she writes and does all the vocals), so when things get a little boring,
I suppose she's to blame. Gifford has a fine guitar tone and knows how to
get things grooving, but these songs are pretty limp in the end. And
sounding like a bored, weary Natalie Merchant can't be good for anyone's
career. Googe plays bass but her presence is sadly unnoticeable, and
the production is solid but, again, unremarkable. So... when is that My
Bloody Valentine album supposed to come out, again?
-Mark Richard-San
"Easy Way Down"
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