The gestation for O-Complex has taken some time and Ponyloaf have had to go through some maturing on several fronts to complete this record. To their credit they have overcome a range of creative challenges to concoct a record that's focused, diverse, engaging and most of all fun. Not scared to dig into the dirt a little, this album features a slightly rougher edge to it, a rock sensibility (including some vocoder vocals) that lends the trio a new locus of operation.
Tracks like Aargh's Townhouse have a post rock formation to them, as if they have been chiselled out of the bones of contemporary music, Ponyloaf crudely gluing the bones back together to create a ghoulish un-rock monster fuelled by pure electronic goodness. Lost Heartache takes the trio deep into another form of audio recreation, borrowing this time from the rave world instead of following the conventions of this format they turn it on its head, the results most favourable. These three have chemistry and there's little doubt it worked overtime in the creative processes of this record.
4/5 Stars (Lawrence English)
how it goin?
Posted on September 15, 2004