Ponytail - Ice Cream Spiritual
Four-way cacophony bristles from within songs where melody is as fundamental to the music as mania
As much as sub-genres, musical tags and endless categorisation are both tiresome and slightly futile, it's sometimes difficult to try and not rise to the challenge laid down by some musicians. What that basically means is that Ice Cream Spiritual is an extremely original, stubbornly uncategorisable record. It's definitely some kind of pop music but it's as shambolic as it is structured. Four-way cacophony bristles from within songs where melody is as fundamental to the music as mania. There are clever stops, shrewd musicianship and absolutely tons of enthusiasm on display, not to mention a refreshingly crisp but unpolished recording. Perhaps the most memorable aspect of Ponytail's idiosyncratic racket is the vocals, surely intended to whip up a crowd as much as convey any meaning. Those with a passion for Deerhoof won't go far wrong here. That genre then? Who cares? It's great. Make up your own damn mind. [Chris Cusack]