New Young Pony Club Fantastic Playroom by: Alex De Petro Tue:18-Dec-07 Label: Modular Year: 2007 WB rating 65 out of 100

The title is something of a misnomer: The New Young Pony club may have created a playroom, but it’s only at times fantastic.

Even though it’s the kind of music you would likely hear jumping out of the car of some inner-city trendoid late on a summer weekend, there’s some depth to be found in the British quintet’s debut album. While it doesn’t have the instant grooveability of the classic tracks of Jamiroquai, Talking Heads or The Bee Gees (three seemingly incongruous bands which can be seen as direct influences for this album), the clever blend of electronica, pop, funk and harmonies will definitely get into the same part of your head. Driven by the steady, inventive bass of Igor Volk and the clever use of synth throughout, the album rolls along at a raucous pace, offering no standout tracks, but simply solid, similar, party tunes.

While this kind of bass-driven pop has been heard before, it is its amalgamation with other genres, the clever lyricism and quirky instrumentation, which keeps the listener guessing.  The use of classic 50’s style guitar licks, such as on the popular single ‘Ice Cream’ is one feature of the album, setting a new level of musicality for bands of this hard-to-define genre. Female lead vocalist Tahita Bulmer sings with a kind of charismatic arrogance that is strangely alluring, especially on tracks such as ‘Hiding on the Stair Case’. The track is made by the opening refrain of “it’s the sound of revolution in the bedroom”, channeling early 90s Jay Kay at his bratty best.

Comparisons have been made between New Young Pony Club and Blondie during their peak period, but one area where they differ is in the use of harmonies. Where Blondie was a male band headed by the charming, talented and gorgeous Debbie Harry (providing a strong gender contrast which was visually evident on many of their album covers), the New Young Pony Club use female harmonies (‘Grey’), echoes (‘Talking, Talking’) and good old fashioned call and response (‘Hiding on the Staircase’) to great effect, making use of the voices the three female band members have. This said, and despite her evident charisma, Bulmer is no Debbie Harry: the lyrics aren’t nearly as strong as that of even the weaker Blondie tracks. This may, one hopes, come with time.

At its core, the strength of Fantastic Playroom comes not from these sometimes gimmicky features, but from the band’s rhythm section, bassist Volk and percussionist Sarah Jones, who drive the album along solidly and quickly, setting a swift and strong beat for each and every track. However, for all its positive points, Fantastic Playroom quickly becomes monotonous: each track is so similar to the last that after a few spins listening to the album becomes drudgery, something that should never happen with this brand of fun and funky pop. And even though it will leave you bopping your feet, nodding your head, and dressing in tight, fluorescent clothes, the album really only serves as a distraction: suitable for the car or a summer party, but nothing to write home about.