A record that's going to earn a lot of comparisons to C86 stuff, Jetstream Pony by Jetstream Pony is far more distinctive than those sorts of albums that are simply exercises in digging up the past again. Beth Arzy was in Sarah Records band Aberdeen, as well as Trembling Blue Stars among other acts, and she's got a real ear for a hook. Nearly everything on this album is centered around a strong melodic figure that anchors the fuzzy guitars.
"I Close My Eyes" is damn buoyant and catchy, while "It's Fine" is a sugar-rush through a hall of riffs that feel just familiar enough to remind us of the pedigrees of the players on this release. With Shaun Carman (The Wedding Present) here on guitars, a listener is forgiven for thinking of bands like that when listening to this. For the parts that echo those of Gedge and his generation, there's enough elsewhere on Jetstream Pony that points us in new directions. "Worthless", for example, sounds a bit like The Darling Buds but the tune is far darker in mood than that comparison might lead you to imagine.
There's no harm in pointing out how much Beth Arzy's voice reminds me of Pam Berry's on "I Think I'm Ready to Go", but that doesn't necessarily mean I think that this sounds like Black Tambourine or Glo-Worm. No, Jetstream Pony thankfully are mapping their own path here, with numbers like this one and "Half an Idea" being expertly-structured rockers with a dream-pop sheen. Really, there's not a dud on Jetstream Pony, and nearly any cut here could be plopped down in the middle of a mix designed to soundtrack your drive down a highway this summer. In that sense, it's something of a simple little masterpiece, and a reminder of what fun indie-pop can still be.
Jetstream Pony is out now via Shelflife Records in the USA.
More details on Jetstream Pony via the band's official Facebook page.
[Photo: Matthew Schwartz]