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Ponies in the Surf

See You Happy | Darla
By MICHAEL BRODEUR  |  June 24, 2008
4.0 4.0 Stars
poniesinthesurfinside.jpg

Go ahead, Boston. You just keep sleeping on Ponies in the Surf and see what happens. Miss a show at P.A.’s here, a show at ZuZu there, remain casually unaware of their demo (A Demonstration) and their debut (Ponies on Fire), sure! Well, now that you’re this far into this paragraph, I’ve got news: your bullshit ends here. It’s high time the Ponies were recognized for the perfect-pop juggernaut (however gentle) they are. The voices of sister/brother duo Camille and Andrew McGregor have the sort of compatibility that can be bestowed only by the genome: smooth, warm, unsteady but assured, with little frays at the tips, like a candle’s tiny flame. Those voices carry 14 songs charming enough to be a real threat to your socks. A shared childhood in Colombia informs Andrew’s light bossa stylings on the guitar (and there’s a track titled “João”), but See You Happy is far more than nostalgic homage. It’s brimming with curious melodies (like the darkly cute skews of the title track), rich poetic detail (as lush as the orange carpet in “16A”), and a truly generous spirit (you can listen to the whole damn thing over and over). Not only are the Ponies something to get excited about, they may well be Boston’s finest songwriting team — and this is them, ever so gingerly waking you up.

Ponies In The Surf | P.A’s Lounge, 345 Somerville Ave, Somerville | June 28 | 617.776.1557 or www. paslounge.com

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  Topics: CD Reviews , Ponies in the Surf, Ponies in the Surf, pa's lounge
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