Ponytail’s second album begs the question: what in hell is an Ice Cream Spiritual? After a few listens through, I’m none the wiser, but it’s obviously something joyous, a little spazzy and very carefree. File under “exuberant fun”, perhaps.
There’s something psychedelic about Ice Cream Spiritual, too – though not the chin-stroking intellectualist strand of the style. Ponytail aren’t trying to be clever or aloof here; on the contrary, the manic energy of their tunes are about as inclusive as anything I’ve heard this year. It’s an open-armed invitation: step inside, freak out, go crazy. Smile.
Ponytail’s energy is channelled through high-speed garagey skronk from bright and brittle guitars, rolling rattling rhythms and song structures that slide smoothly from tension to release on the backs of impressionist chromatic un-riffs and clashing open chords. They apparently have quite the reputation as an unmissable live act, and if Ice Cream Spiritual captures that experience accurately it’s a reputation I can believe in. This is music that you probably watch with a grin smeared all over your face… if you’re not already leaping around like sugar-rushing tweens at a birthday party, that is.
But Ice Cream Spiritual has an elephant in the room, and that is Molly Siegel’s vocals. Note I don’t say her lyrics – because there aren’t any lyrics. Ponytail’s chaotic impressionist approach extends right the way out to here, with Siegel seemingly indulging in some sort of happy non-denominational fit of glossolalia. Wordless phrases and gasps, whinnys and explosions of happy wailing phonemes leap and soar about in the songs, saying nothing intelligible but meaning something primal: let the inner child out of the bottle.
In fact, the more I think about it, the more sense Ice Cream Spiritual makes as a title. If you could somehow train pre-speech toddlers to make bubblegum-bright amphetamine indie-pop, they might make music rather like Ponytail’s – raucous celebrations of life’s simple pleasures, like ice cream, cartoons and running around without a nappy on. Put it this way, if you can imagine Boredoms soundtracking a Rugrats feature-length, you’ve got a vague idea of what’s happening here.
All of which means that Ponytail aren’t going to appeal to the more po-faced fan of “serious” music. Ice Cream Spiritual is no mockery of thoughtfulness, but its utter refusal to engage with the narrative mechanics of songwriting is in many ways a more effective tactic. Ice Cream Spiritual doesn’t care if you don’t like it – it’s far too busy loving the world to waste its time on talking to grownups.
Related articles:
Posted in Music reviews | No Comments »
Tags: garage, Ice Cream Spiritual, indie, Ponytail, psychedelic, rock
