rocky says: Claudia of Homotiller Industries gave me a promo copy to review in 1998.
Here's what I wrote then:
I kinda liked this record until I figured out the lyrics. Now, I simply fucking ADORE it.You see, I’ve realized that the themes of many (if not all) of the tracks involve some meditation on drinking and drugging-related states of dis/illusionment. And Good Lord, but it is just sooo seductive to hear a fine female throat croon the dis/pleasures of the Narcoticized Life. Just think Billie Holiday, Edith Piaf, Nico, et al., then forget them. Ah, but you can’t, see? And therein lies the sirenic allure of Snowpony’s celebratory dysfunction. Because Naturally, (or is it Culturally?) there’s no real fun without a Good Healthy Dose of Guilt, and Snowpony’s lexiconography is Lush-ly Laden with Lyrics of Remorse Redemption and Relapse.
Yow. Hey, I apologize. I was in grad school for Lit and doing far too much drinking and drugging myself to be able to refrain from such textual over-indulgence. But, Ten Years After, I still love this record for all the same wrong reasons. This album is downright dark. And catchy as all get-out. Plus, the production is Total Tits.
allmusic: The atmospheric electronic-pop trio Snowpony was an alternative British supergroup of sorts comprising vocalist/keyboardist Katharine Gifford -- a former member of Stereolab and Moonshake -- as well as onetime My Bloody Valentine bassist Debbie Googe and ex-Quickspace/Rollerskate Skinny drummer Max Corradi. A number of singles announcing the group's arrival appeared in 1997, among them "Evil Way Down" and "Chocolate in the Sun." The full-length Slow-Motion World of Snowpony followed a year later.
The Slow-Motion World of Snowpony is the full-length debut from Snowpony, which features ex-members of Stereolab and My Bloody Valentine. The band's drone pop sound comes from a live rhythm section mixed with looped and sampled guitars and keyboards. Merged with Katharine Gifford's smooth, ennui-filled vocals, the result is strong, dark melodies with an edgy groove.
The sound is very tight, which is most likely the result of producer John McEntire of Tortoise. The album ranges from the light-hearted "Love Letters," with its teasing vocals and flirtatious lyrics [rocky says: this is wildly obtuse and inaccurate -- the lyrics are just fucking dark], to the somber "St. Lucy's Gate." Many of Gifford's lyrics have a cryptic quality.
On first listen, they seem innocent and simple, but then the darker aspects and double entendres surface. For example, "3 Can Keep a Secret (If 2 Are Dead)," which features sampling from Sonic Youth's "100%," sounds semi-cheerful, but the lyrics hint at something sinister and mysterious. This mood carries throughout the entire album, which helps to make The Slow-Motion World of Snowpony one of the most intriguing electronic pop albums of 1998.
allmusic: The atmospheric electronic-pop trio Snowpony was an alternative British supergroup of sorts comprising vocalist/keyboardist Katharine Gifford -- a former member of Stereolab and Moonshake -- as well as onetime My Bloody Valentine bassist Debbie Googe and ex-Quickspace/Rollerskate Skinny drummer Max Corradi. A number of singles announcing the group's arrival appeared in 1997, among them "Evil Way Down" and "Chocolate in the Sun." The full-length Slow-Motion World of Snowpony followed a year later.
The Slow-Motion World of Snowpony is the full-length debut from Snowpony, which features ex-members of Stereolab and My Bloody Valentine. The band's drone pop sound comes from a live rhythm section mixed with looped and sampled guitars and keyboards. Merged with Katharine Gifford's smooth, ennui-filled vocals, the result is strong, dark melodies with an edgy groove.
The sound is very tight, which is most likely the result of producer John McEntire of Tortoise. The album ranges from the light-hearted "Love Letters," with its teasing vocals and flirtatious lyrics [rocky says: this is wildly obtuse and inaccurate -- the lyrics are just fucking dark], to the somber "St. Lucy's Gate." Many of Gifford's lyrics have a cryptic quality.
On first listen, they seem innocent and simple, but then the darker aspects and double entendres surface. For example, "3 Can Keep a Secret (If 2 Are Dead)," which features sampling from Sonic Youth's "100%," sounds semi-cheerful, but the lyrics hint at something sinister and mysterious. This mood carries throughout the entire album, which helps to make The Slow-Motion World of Snowpony one of the most intriguing electronic pop albums of 1998.
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