Album Review: Pit Pony – Dead Stars

The Breakdown

Pit Pony deliver an album that is defiantly Northern set to post punk noise.

The mixture of post-punk indie is hypnotic throughout this second full-length from North East’s Pit Pony. ‘At Dawn opens the album with something special. One minute in, and I am already loving this album. Heavy bass drives the track under thrashy guitar, but the direct, flowing vocals bring the magic and have me already signing Dead Stars off as one of the year’s best albums. Two minutes in, and you will agree with me.

Jackie’s subtle phrasing, almost spoken word, hits not just the musical side of the brain but also the intelligence side. Pit Pony have always documented modern life within their songs. Fiercely honest, Jackie’s lyricism portrays an intense duality and a vulnerability that is instantly relatable—turning inwards to explore notions of motherhood, imposter syndrome and getting older.

‘This Love Of Mine’ shifts gears as the music opens up more sonically with a chorus that gives a more expansive sonic sound. Jackie’s northern vocals copy the gritty domestic lyrics. Something is captivating about singing with a strong dialect and a strength in honesty to the lyrics. Principles this band anchor themselves to. One of the album’s singles, ‘Vacancy’, is an attack on social media and its grip on our lives. Featuring a vicious yet disinterested sneer of a vocal where the words carry the bite, highlighting this particular strength.

A twist of straight-up rock on ‘Stagnant Pool’ and the noisy ‘No Shame’. Both see a powerhouse performance from Jackie. The guitars on ‘No Shame’ perfectly demonstrate the wizard-like melodic conjuring of the six-string duo. The slow post-punk of ‘Something In The Water’s intro morphs into a menacing masterpiece before the hint of do-wop of ‘Cut Open’ seals the deal. The track ‘Cut Open’ suits Jackie’s voice perfectly over wandering bass and shimmering chords on this introspective croon. It is a captivating three minutes. There is more to this band underneath the catchy hooks and huge sound.

The second to last track, and the foot is off the gas pedal with ‘Waves’ as gentle lapping guitars sit on a bed of demanding drums and one of the album’s best vocal performances, mainly from the performance-like way the lyrics are delivered. The songs create pictures in your mind. This album also shows the passion from the band to deliver something authentic and special.

Big space between tracks adds to the insular vibe and is best enjoyed through headphones whilst sitting in your little bubble of ignorance. Let the band document the joys and pitfalls of society, economics and climate change over spikey post punk guitars and thumbing big bass. Christian Wright and Chris McManus have done a great job capturing this band’s unique sound.

There is no single standout member; this is a band that, together, are crafting songs of modern culture. From the accents and lyrical content/themes to the striking cold, harsh music, this is a very English, albeit (up North) album that stands head and shoulders above many.

Check out the track At Dawn, below: