"Not so for Sam Bielanski, singer-songwriter of the Toronto band PONY and no such easy mark. The title of their band's third album comes from something a clairvoyant once said: that Bielanski harbored a "dark spirit attachment," of which the expert could cleanse them for (and here's the catch) a cool $1500. Not unconvinced but lacking the cash, Bielanski declined, deciding to coexist with their alleged curse instead. I could take a cue from them."
"On their first two albums, they cranked out fizzy songs flavored by the crunch of pop-punk or a dreamy swirl of '80s-indebted synths. Clearly Cursed moves into even poppier terrain, sparkle-soaked as Charly Bliss' latest or an offering at the altar of Josie and the Pussycats. You know how a pink candy might taste like bubblegum, or watermelon, or strawberry, or peppermint? This is the experience of listening to Clearly Cursed."
Sam Bielanski, singer-songwriter of Toronto band PONY, declined a clairvoyant's $1,500 offer to cleanse an alleged "dark spirit attachment" and chose to coexist with the claim. PONY's third album, Clearly Cursed, contrasts that backstory with a sugar-rush indie-pop sound. The record moves into poppier, sparkle-soaked terrain with fuzzy guitars, bright synths, and bubbly melodies across ten tracks. The band preserves variety through elements like a spoken-word bridge on "Hot and Mean," guitar fuzz on "Every Little Crumb," and sweeping pop on "Brilliant Blue." The songs broadly attempt to rid the alleged curse while keeping lyrical specifics oblique.
Read at Pitchfork
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