Ignore This
Ignore This gives Dead Pony plenty of room to show what they can do. Across sixteen tracks, the band combine thick guitar riffs, bright vocal hooks and restless electronics, breaking up the larger songs with shorter, stranger pieces. The sound is direct enough to work as straightforward alternative rock, but the extra details give it a more playful character.
The title track sets out that approach clearly. A distorted bass sound and shifting layers surround Anna Shields' commanding voice, with the chorus providing an immediate way into the noise. The electronics are part of the song's movement rather than a surface effect added to make the guitars seem bigger.
COBRA finds another useful balance. Its heavy riffing and pulsing synths give the rhythm a danceable quality, while a lower male vocal provides a contrast to Shields. The different voices and textures pull in the same direction, making the hook feel like the natural centre of the arrangement.
RAINBOWS and Bad Girlfriend show the brighter possibilities in that mixture. The former brings the electronic side further forward, while the latter uses a disco-influenced groove and a concise chorus. Both make a strong case for the band's ability to write accessible songs without removing the weight from their sound. About Love offers another welcome change through its softer chorus.
The production is less convincing when every element pushes for attention. On the heavier material, the high end can become tiring, and the vocal sometimes sits so far forward that the instruments lose impact. The songs benefit from their energy, but a little more space in the mix would let more of the playing come through.
The short interludes give the sequence a distinctive shape, although the closing Motor City Mad Man feels detached from the record around it. That leaves Ignore This sounding more ambitious than fully settled. Even so, the best songs have strong enough riffs and melodies to make the experiments worthwhile. Dead Pony have a clear identity here, along with a few rough decisions that keep the debut from making the most of it.
