Customer Reviews

Mysterious Pony

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

You wake up after a long, lonely night of malt liquor and Teddy Pendergrass on the turntable. Rubbing your blood-shot eyes you sadly sigh and think "So now I know another meaning for `Love TKO'". Focusing your eyes you find yourself not in your bedroom but in a warm pine-beamed ski lodge. The fire in the fireplace crackles as a heavy snow slowly falls outside the windows in the Colorado dusk. On a white bear skin rug in front of the fire lies Jaclyn Smith circa 1977, her feathered brunette hair silhouetted by the fires golden glow. She smiles and beckons you over. Incredulously, you sit down next to her. From an ice bucket next to the rug Jaclyn removes a bottle of Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin and uncorks it. The pressure propels the cork into the fire setting off a small burst of spark and ash. You shudder. She fills two long-stemmed flutes and hands you one. You toast to the night, and, yes, to love. You blink hard. Jaclyn moves closer. You take another long swallow of champagne. She then takes a CD and places it in a small stereo that suddenly appears next to both of you. Smooth, sultry, silky sounds fill the room. You look at the CD cover. "Mysterious Pony" by Emperor Penguin.

Falling into her embrace you hope this dream never ends.

That's what I'm talking about.

If I may first apologize for being less voluptuous... Every track here knows its place in this funked-up masterpiece, and there's not a lemon among them. I think "...Integrity" was a little more varied, but that's really nit-picking. Favorites: "E.D.G.A.R." and the title track. The little audio snippits and iMac voices are always amusing. I'm not sure if the previous review's use of this album is abuse or appreciation to the fullest, but let it suffice to say I need to listen more often, more carefully, or whatever it takes.

Emperor Penguin has a great chill/groove sound- perhaps a little more on the downtempo end of things like DJ Shadow. There's a lot of "found" sounds here, which sometimes works, sometimes works less well. I suppose it probably depends on how familiar you are with the source material.

For example: "Burnt Sienna and Avocado" is a really, really sweet groove. Now go listen to "The Edge" by David McCallum (from the 60s, also available on amazon)...I wonder how many other tunes are out there you could do this for?

Maybe it doesn't matter; mostly it's not so much about who did what with music that contains clips/loops, but "Burnt Sienna..." seems to cross a line for me where not enough was added, without marketing it specifically as a remix.

Anyway, that aside, my personal favorites are "Mood Mound" and "Underwater Housekeeper." I say don't worry about the sources and just enjoy.

I've been a big fan of the penguin for a few years. This is just tastefully done synth music. Not hip hop, not exactly drums and bass, but just good groove music. I relax to this music while I have to do boring menial tasks. This is one of those bands that people think you are cool for just knowing about them before anyone else. So pick up this disc and be cool. Or get it on vinyl and be even cooler!