trads music

Artist: New Young Pony Club
LP: The Optimist
Year: 2010
Genre: Indie rock, new wave, nu-rave
Band's origin: UK (London)
Label: The Numbers

Tracklisting:

1. "Lost A Girl" - 4:21
2. "Chaos" - 3:39
3. "The Optimist" - 5:36
4. "Stone" - 4:10
5. "We Want To" - 4:42
6. "Dolls" - 3:16
7. "Before The Light" - 5:28
8. "Oh Cherie" - 5:04
9. "Rapture" - 4:23
10. "Architect Of Love" - 4:48

Album's playlist:

It's been three years since the, British band, New Young Pony Club released its first album “Fantastic Playroom”. A very promising, fresh and groove album which highlighted the band as an interesting alternative to the kings of new wave - post-punk, by that time, Cansei de Ser Sexy. The sound of NYPC on Fantastic Playroom was a bit more solid, funky and, in occasions, more “square” compared to the sound of CSS. This sound brought NYPC a number of great reviews, a Mercury Music Award, a large number of funs, CD sales and successful live performances.

As the time went by, since the summer of 2007 (when Fantastic Playroom released) things kept changing in a funny and rapid way, regarding the modern postpunk and new wave sound. CSS kept going with their second studio album “Donkey”, though the radio stations and the media seemed to have lost their initial enthusiasm for the new sound that CSS and the NYPC represented. While the band kept delaying the release of the second studio album, new trends emerged.
In such circumstances and after 3 years of discographic absence, the band had to satisfy its funs by not diverging a lot beyond its initial sound, incorporate all (or some of) the new trends of the music spectrum all around their own mark, and, of course, all this, in a way that, the band's identity would remain undefeatured.

In the 8th of March 2010 NYPC, finally, release their second studio album named “The Optimist”, a 10 tracks', 45 minutes and 27 seconds' album. Indeed, NYPC have changed their sound very much. In some cases the songs reminded the XX (clean leading bass lines) or Hot Chip (intense synths). Of course the characteristic voice and attitude of Tahita Bulmer along with other special characteristics of the band lead the listener to, immediately identify the band, even, after 3 years of absence. 

The feeling and atmosphere of the album is dark. It seems even darker if we compare it with the feeling of the Fantastic Playroom. The difference in the mood of the two albums can be pictured perfectly by placing the two albums' covers next to each other.
 

My first reaction when I listened the album for the first time was discomfiture. Neither bad nor good. Not what I expected, but still NYPC. Dark but not sad... What a mess! 
It feels just like when you watch the third episode of a sequel having lost the very crucial second one and you can't figure out what's going on! It feels like you've met a friend from the past and you can hardly recognize him, because he has grown up in a very unexpected way, too fast!

There's not much more to say about the album. NYPC still remains one of the most important bands of their genre and the album contains two-three songs that they are really nice.

As the album's title is “the Optimist”, as an afterword, I will borrow some lyrics from the same titled song: 

New Young Pony Clug, The Optimist: “I'll try not to be disappointed”