For those familiar with him, there's likely one artist that will immediately come to mind the first time you hear Pony Poo - Tom Waits. This music sounds a lot like Tom Waits, from the crunchy alcohol-drenched blues to the tobacco-ravaged vocals. On one hand, that's a good thing, I love Tom Waits, but on the other it's hard to hear everything and compare it to the man himself.
This comparison is just about okay on the opening borrow no sorrow. Yes, it's rough around the edges with a pretty messy mix, but the song is decent. The second track, Skipping, was more of a struggle. There's something here that isn't working for me, what was charming on the opening song just sound sloppy here. I think this is partly down to the titular rhythmic skips which are certainly intentional but make for a slightly annoying listening experience.
Fortunately, that's where my criticisms end. The next song, now you love, is longer than the first two tracks combined, and feels less like a sketch and more like a fully fleshed out piece of music. Ken's talents as a storyteller are on display here and it suits the music.
The hot streak continues through the upbeat Neat, with its ramshackle lead guitar and gasoline-powered vocals, and the meandering ramble that is dandelion, to the closing track, lullaby.
That one's great - a lone guitar plays a simple pop riff while Ken croons over the top. Given a bigger arrangement, it could have passed for an 80s teen anthem, but stripped down it sounds closer to a Rancid track. It shows a lot of restraint to keep this song small but it really works, I love it.
Pony Poo is not an album that puts its best foot forward, but once it does get into a bit of a rhythm I ended up really enjoying my time with it.