Pit Pony release their debut album World To Me on Friday 1 July via Clue Records. The 5-piece from Tyneside take inspiration from the North East coast they call home and you can hear this seeping through their music, wild and raw and unpredictable.
Opening track ‘Tide of Doubt’‘ begins with that most joyous of sounds, the slight crackle heard as the needle drops onto the vinyl. But quickly it’s into those drums beats, scuzzy guitar chords and the volume is pumped up. Lead singer Jackie Purver exudes an effortless yet passionate vocal. Both ‘Tide of Doubt’ and ‘Black Tar‘ are at maximum speed and she describes such songs as cathartic as they provide an: “outlet for the pent up anxiety of isolation and the what seems like constant bad news coming at us from all angles”.
The opening 9 seconds on ‘See Me Be’ are a fierce introduction. The lightning-fast chord sequence goes head first into a rocking rhythm which has the power to shake out anxiety and negativity. The capacity of music to support our mental health is clear. In ‘See Me Be’ Jackie is exploring the experience of having a baby and its impact on her as a person and her place in the world. It fizzes with emotion:
“I don’t know who I was.
I don’t know who I am”
Title track ‘World To Me‘ presents a very different sonic landscape from all that has gone before. It shows that Pit Pony can also have a lightness of touch. Taking a breath from the adrenalin fuelled, emotionally charged first half of World To Me, the title track is a gentler, thoughtful more measured song. It builds anthemically as it progresses before gradually tailing off into the distance.
‘Cold‘ and ‘Underwater’ rock from the get go. The former explores themes of complex relationships and self preservation. Live this must be a standout track. Lyrically we are reminded of the importance of self-love. The effort of struggling on with toxic relationships is simply not worth it, and that slow sizzling out of static at the end of ‘Cold‘ is perhaps a backing away from those that damage us. Previous single ‘Supermarket’ opens with a deep bass which sets the tone. Lyrically haven’t we all been in this situation:
“Sometimes I think I see you in a car, on a street, in a supermarket queue,
and then I’m turning away again because I don’t want to face you.
Sometimes I think I see you in a car, on a street, in a supermarket queue
and then I’m turning away again because I don’t want to face the truth”
The growing frustration can be heard in the vocals and the rising soundscape as ‘Supermarket’ continues. A frustration with oneself perhaps, beating yourself up for the things that should have been noticed and acted upon. This is one of the longest tracks on the album but it needs the time to fully express these themes.
‘Best Is Yet’ is more of a love letter to Jackie’s younger self. It’s so true that youth is wasted on the young and its part of the human condition that we learn from experience. Again self-love and acceptance important for our well-being. And then, bam, into ‘Just That’‘ a short sharp blast of a track. The humour at the start put a smile on my face, a strum of a chord and a band member saying “just that” followed by Jackie’s quizzical “what do you mean, just that?” continuing into a ferocious track, all scuzzy garage rock guitars.
Jackie is joined in Pit Pony by Garth Purver (Guitar), Andrew Jones (Guitar), Andrew Potter (Bass) and Joey Morley (Drums). Together they have produced an album that is as wild and untamed as the environment they come from. Exploring themes both of the personal and the world around them, World To Me is an album to play loud and to rejoice in the restorative power of music.
For more information on Pit Pony check out their facebook and bandcamp.
The debut album World To Me is available 1 July via Clue Records.
