THE OXYGEN PONIES - HARMONY HAND GRENADE
June 07, 2009,
Written by Danny Wadeson
Label: HIdden Target Recordings
Release date: 19/05/09
Website: The Oxygen Ponies Website
Harmony Hand Grenade opens in the fashion of a melancholy Leonard Cohen; yet as a whole though the album is fantastically varied and soulful. The Oxygen Ponies, it becomes increasingly clear throughout the album, manage to tie together a great combination of sounds, moods, and mini-narratives reminiscent of Cohen at his best without resorting to mimicking him.
Megna’s voice is a little husky and carries a lovely timbre, reverberating through the full-bodied backing band. Frequently trailing off into little more than a whisper, Megna and The Oxygen Ponies offer up a thinly-veiled indictment of contemporary America, though it’s probably more accurate to say ‘of contemporary people’, in unique fashion. As a counterpoint, a wonderful, skewed optimism permeates the album and imbues it with real charm. For every lyric such as ‘The war is over, the heroes lost/cauterise the permafrost’ which do sound grim initially, there is a major shift never too far away; ‘If God had models of his best creations, you’d be on display.‘ Mid-album track Grab Yr Gun finishes with a semi-gospel crescendo, and is genuinely uplifting, and aptly proves the band’s versatility and imagination.
Indeed, the instrumentation is very much accomplished; trumpets are used to great effect throughout, to complement the steady strum of guitars, and at times a melodic wall of sound carries the songs forward in a compelling manner. ‘Finger Trigger’ introduces crunching, distorted guitar and pounding drums, upping the ante on what is at times a meditative affair. The last three tracks of the album do return to the down-tempo dusty whispers of the opening track, and you’d be forgiven for being slightly impatient upon the opening strains of final track ‘A Bottle Marked The Enemy.‘ Thankfully, a raunchy chorus elevates the track out of end-album-quiet-song territory, proving a fitting full stop.
The album is sexy and immediate, yet at times wistful. In many ways it could prove timeless. The Oxygen Ponies won’t leave you gasping for breath at their unprecedented musical audacity, but they will have you smiling broadly at just how individual each track sounds. Speaking of ‘time’, you’ll also notice how quickly the album seems to wrap up; and that is always a good sign.
Rating: 8/10
MP3: The Oxygen Ponies on Pure Volume
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1 response so far...
Oliver
Sounds cool. Love the name
Kate - 16/03/10
Schadenfreude. I think you've pretty much covered it in the last paragraph: when we're down, we search for culture which empathises; when we're up, we search for culture which makes us see the value and worth of our current 'positive' situation. Not everyone though: some people detest dark comedy, cynical people and skeptical views. [view article]
Oliver - 16/03/10
I love having absoultely nothing to do with the podcasts. It means Ican get excited about when they get released. I was giddy this morning when Itunes started to download it for me! [view article]
Benzil - 16/03/10
The Tubelord segment was superb, poor Rob. I was confused too. Nice work lads. [view article]
Emma - 16/03/10
Hey there :) Just wondered, did you take the pictures yourself? Its just im currently completing my Final Major Project for my publishing course and im making a music magazine. Having a massive problem with copywrite :/ If you did take the pictures would i be able to use the ones of pulled apart by horses? because they are the best ive found :P they really capture how mental they are. You would be a MASSIVE help. Id put your name on the pictures and if you want i can sent you the mag when its done so you can put it in a portfolio or summat? Would be a MASSIVE help :) If your interested could you email me on only-inhuman@hotmail.com Cheers :) [view article]
Oliver - 16/03/10
Ahh, I just meant in general! Not in comparison! 40 minutes would be cool! One every two weeks Aaron? ;) [view article]