May is New Zealand Music Month! For the rest of May, Jamie will review NZ bands, attend (and subsequently write about) NZ shows, and generally give attention to some of the greatest bands you've never heard of.
I was surprised by this album. Surprised, for one, that there was an album at all. Pryor, up until a few weeks ago, had existed mostly behind the scenes, such as his involvement in the delightful Fly My Pretties venture. While he sporadically bobbed to the surface--as with his inclusion in the late A Low Hum CD + Magazine collective and on the soundtrack to Eagle vs. Shark--his was a name reserved for the lips of kids most indie (indie kids in an indie city in an indie country in an indie hemisphere--honestly, New Zealand is so indie it sometimes makes me a little queasy).
But here it is, Age Pryor's album, Shanks' Pony. And there I WASN'T--at his CD release party at Wellington's Mighty Mighty. For weeks I kicked myself and cringed whenever I talked to someone who attended. How could I have missed it? I loved Age Pryor (well, I loved the one track I had from my A Low Hum CD)! I finally bought Shanks' Pony at the beginning of NZ music month, burned it to my iPod, and listened straight through. My first reaction: Huh.
I was, as I said before, surprised. Unlike aforementioned loved track (Eyes Rarely Meet), Shanks' Pony is incredibly well-produced. This is, indeed, a compliment and not indie crybaby criticism. The album is polished and sounds beautiful. It's just that the songs are, well--odd. From the folk-drifter ballads of opener I Don't Want and King of You All, through the upbeat sing-a-longs like title track Shanks' Pony and Plastic Lady to Latin-inspired Unhappy Son, I found it difficult to glean a cohesive vibe from the piece. As soon as I settled into the mood of a track, Pryor abruptly shifted genres in the subsequent song, only to change back a few songs later.
However, Pryor is a talented singer-songwriter. His musicality coupled with his unique lisp (think Isaac Brock meets Stuart Murdoch) provides each track a signature setting it apart from the others. But when every track stands in contrast against every other track, you compromise the album. Admittedly, there are some gorgeous songs on Shanks' Pony. In fact, all the songs are good. There isn't a track I could fault on a individual level; they simply don't work together. Shanks's Pony sounds less like a debut album than it does a collection of b-sides.
Artist :: Age Pryor
I was surprised by this album. Surprised, for one, that there was an album at all. Pryor, up until a few weeks ago, had existed mostly behind the scenes, such as his involvement in the delightful Fly My Pretties venture. While he sporadically bobbed to the surface--as with his inclusion in the late A Low Hum CD + Magazine collective and on the soundtrack to Eagle vs. Shark--his was a name reserved for the lips of kids most indie (indie kids in an indie city in an indie country in an indie hemisphere--honestly, New Zealand is so indie it sometimes makes me a little queasy).
But here it is, Age Pryor's album, Shanks' Pony. And there I WASN'T--at his CD release party at Wellington's Mighty Mighty. For weeks I kicked myself and cringed whenever I talked to someone who attended. How could I have missed it? I loved Age Pryor (well, I loved the one track I had from my A Low Hum CD)! I finally bought Shanks' Pony at the beginning of NZ music month, burned it to my iPod, and listened straight through. My first reaction: Huh.
I was, as I said before, surprised. Unlike aforementioned loved track (Eyes Rarely Meet), Shanks' Pony is incredibly well-produced. This is, indeed, a compliment and not indie crybaby criticism. The album is polished and sounds beautiful. It's just that the songs are, well--odd. From the folk-drifter ballads of opener I Don't Want and King of You All, through the upbeat sing-a-longs like title track Shanks' Pony and Plastic Lady to Latin-inspired Unhappy Son, I found it difficult to glean a cohesive vibe from the piece. As soon as I settled into the mood of a track, Pryor abruptly shifted genres in the subsequent song, only to change back a few songs later.
However, Pryor is a talented singer-songwriter. His musicality coupled with his unique lisp (think Isaac Brock meets Stuart Murdoch) provides each track a signature setting it apart from the others. But when every track stands in contrast against every other track, you compromise the album. Admittedly, there are some gorgeous songs on Shanks' Pony. In fact, all the songs are good. There isn't a track I could fault on a individual level; they simply don't work together. Shanks's Pony sounds less like a debut album than it does a collection of b-sides.
Comments