REVIEW: PONY - Clearly Cursed
- Angel Turley
- 1 minute ago
- 3 min read
PONY’s third album Clearly Cursed dropping on February 13th, with five songs already released from the album, and a recent busy touring schedule with JIMMY EAT WORLD, MSPAINT and POOL KIDS to name a few, is inspired by feeling cursed. That feeling sparked a memory for singer SAM BIELANSKI who visited a psychic at 21 who told her she had a ‘dark spirit attachment’. After a challenging time working on this project BIELANSKI and other founding member MATTY MONRAD were joined by touring collaborators CHRISTIAN BEALE and JOEY GINALD to create a musical identity that they have dreamed of since they first formed over a decade ago. It takes their glittery power pop sound and adds an 80s inspired synth and 90s grunge creating a nostalgic feel to the album.
Kicking off the album is the track Superglue which talks about the feelings of jealousy and processing those emotions rather than feeling ashamed about them. The song feels like it could be played radio wide with ease. Following on is Freezer which is a song about being lied to and mistreated with lyrical themes of sweet versus bitterness with some of the analogies being more literal. The sound is more electronic with heavier guitars and drum presence bringing that nostalgic feel. Sunny Something has a slow build up, which gives it that perfect movie soundtrack vibe, whilst being a reminiscent feeling of how it was and how not to get left behind.
Middle of Summer is the lead single from the album, which was written to honour their cat that they lost a couple summers ago, and the lyrics show that with a theme of surviving with phrases such as “tread water”. The very catchy Hot and Mean has a spoken word bridge that grabs your attention after being engrossed in the chorus that will get stuck in your head. Originally to be a SHERYL CROW inspired song, Blame Me talks about a strained relationship, with a drum riff changing the pace after the chorus, which could also be a nod to the fact the song went through many versions before landing as is.
Title track Clearly Cursed talks about portraying a front when feeling troubled mentally, which also fits for the theme of the album. Brilliant Blue encapsulates those first dates kind of feelings with a higher vocal range and very catchy rhythm. Every Little Crumb has a very strong guitar presence compared to the last few songs, with a lot of extra background vocals which makes it feel like “every little crumb” has been taken literally into a jam packed song, which suits the theme of talking about a very full mind. It creates that busy mind sensation with the layers all intertwined. The close off the album Swallowing Stars talks about wanting to be a certain type of person but not being able to uphold that role, but also the pressure of realising that being a relief.
The way in which the album has been compiled is very enticingly nostalgic with a variation of lyrical emotions and layers. Each song has its own level of emotion, as well as the work as a whole being very relatable. It’s a very enjoyable listen and a great way to show the stage in which the band is currently in!
Score: 8/10
Clearly Cursed will be released on 13th February 2026 via Take This to Heart Records.
Words: Angel Turley
Photos: PONY
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