Woah, there. The Ponys aren’t the latest in a procession of metal revitalists, intent on following such heavyweights as Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, and Saxon. Although you would be forgiven for thinking so, given the fact the cover art for Turn The Lights Out features a skeleton. No, The Ponys instead are focused on stoking the embers of garage rock and post-punk.

Accordingly, they’ve been snapped up by Matador, joining a roster of likemined artists in Mogwai, Pretty Girls Make Graves, and Yo La Tengo. It was Matador who hooked them up with John Agnello for some intense recording sessions at Brooklyn’s Headgear Studios last September. The producer has most famously worked with Sonic Youth, a group which, by the sounds of things, The Ponys would like to emulate.

This band of horses formed in Chicago. Founder singer/guitarist Jered Gummere, reacting to his punk outfit Guilty Pleasures disbanding, hooked up with erstwhile Mushuganas drummer Nathan Jerd and bassist Melissa Elias. After signing with In the Red, the sound of dirty Detroit, they recruited Ian Adams on keyboard/guitar.

The Ponys released two critically-acclaimed albums for In the Red. Before Ian Adams decided that actually he didn’t enjoy touring that much. His replacement, guitarist Brian Case, has revitalized their sonance – such is the guy’s love of noise, it looks like he wants to expunge the entire audience at each show.

The hardest-working band at the recent SXSW in Austin, Texas, the band played a mighty eight times. These ain’t no show ponies. Brace yourself for a wild ride.

(4/5)