Ponytail - Ice Cream Spiritual
- by Rich Morris Release Date: Label: We Are Free
Ice Cream Spiritual rocks a sound approximately like a sonic orgy involving The Plastic Ono Band, Sleater-Kinney, Electrelane, Bow Wow Wow, Deerhoof and Hawkwind: a riot grrrl-humps-space rock take on Vampire Weekend's afrobeat. Twinkling hi-life melodies writhe under gallons of exquisite sludge. Hopping tribal drums butt heads with experimental scraping and droning. Just when you think the sound has settled on being a happy, scummy punk, bashing around the junkyard, it suddenly sprouts prog wings and lifts off for strange, crystalline galaxies. And above it all, a loony new-born rock goddess gibbers nonsense incantations, Yoko Ono Style; yelps with pure earth-mama ecstasy, just like Ari Up used to; and mutters sulky sexy-somethings, like a trance-gripped Betty Davis. And it doesn't get boring or irritating or silly. Not once. Extraordinary.
Best tracks: 'Beg Waves', 'G Shock', 'Celebrate the Body Electric'
Richard Morris
