Guillermo Castro
So I’m going to be lazy but honest here for a moment. Usually these premieres are reserved for whatever personal observations I have made regarding the artist, song, or album at hand, but in the specific case of Pony League’s forthcoming LP, A Picture of Your Family (out tomorrow via Bear Kids Recordings), I’m going to fall back on a quote from the group’s press release that outlines the record’s central motivations: “A Picture of Your Family is a peek into the space between the moments that have shaped us, both as people and a band. It’s a spring cleaning of emotional baggage, dusting off neglected cracks and corners only to find a comforting beauty in the accidental symmetry of what’s been left behind.”
But here’s the thing: From a thematic standpoint, I can’t really provide a better analysis of what makes this this album tick, at least not from the time I’ve had to spend with it. I will say, however, that at it’s core this is a storyteller’s record, one that embraces a vintage form of Americana as an avenue to paint intimate portrait of places and people caught in the existential chaos of life and living. Much as in the past, the group utilizes an extensive palette to create their vignettes and character sketches, blending American folk traditions with driving top-down rock, ‘70s AM pop, and more. On the whole, the record is cleaner, gentler, and more refined than previous efforts, but toe-tapping highway jams like “Live & Breathe” and “Mile Marker Dance” prove Pony League can always cook when the mood suits them.
Give it a listen below.
A Picture of Your Family is out tomorrow. Pre-orders are available here.
Pony League will celebrate the release of A Picture of Your Family tonight at Aisle 5 alongside Blood on the Harp and Dear Blanca. Doors open at 9 p.m. Admission is $10. All ages.
More Info
Web: ponyleagueband.com
Bandcamp: ponyleague.bandcamp.com
Facebook: @PonyLeagueBand
Instagram: @ponyleagueband
SoundCloud: @PonyLeague
Tumblr: ponyleague.tumblr.com
Twitter: @ponyleagueband