Building from a propulsive central energy, the song pitches the listener straight into the Pit Pony aesthetic. A sound able to combine impetus, texture and weight into something simmering with a sense of defiance. The mood is furthered by the delivery of lead Jackie Purver, which harnesses the song’s sheer energy to authentically cathartic ends. But that’s not to say there isn’t a thoughtful, reflective side to Pit Pony too. Like ‘Vacancy’ before it, the track highlights the way in which the band find space to examine issues both personal and social within their dynamic sound.

“’At Dawn’ is a reference to personal experience,” as Purver explains. “It’s a storytelling song about being young and caught up in things you think will last forever and then they’re fleeting. I actually wrote it to look back on something that I was resentful about for a while and to make peace with it with a more mature viewpoint. Everything shapes us as we go.”

Watch the video below directed, filmed  and edited by Roberto Colapietro with assistant director Johnny Massahi:

Dead Stars is out now via Clue Records and EMI North and you can get it from Bandcamp.

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The dream-like French surreality of the intro gives way to the self-titled first track proper, over 8 minutes of lo-fi synth pop, Pollard’s vocals recounting repeated lyrics that read almost like a diary entry.

“I text to call you in Paris
you had an accident cycling
you got on the Eurostar to London
we played in London and you came”

Pollard’s voice is almost feline on ‘Maya’, before the swaying, disrupted groove of ‘clouds’, which sounds almost steam-powered, clanking along over a reflective synth line. The vocals echo around like thoughts inside Pollard’s head; “I might get a dog”, he muses, “seriously though I’ll probably get a dog”. ‘plinth’ opens in a hive-like whine, slowly crystallizing into a shimmering pop song, the wordless vocals acting as another instrument in the mix. The track is a good illustration of the album as a whole, of the way Competition makes music that is undeniably lo-fi yet somehow makes sense, like a magic spell conjured from tape hiss and an automatic drum machine.

The closing track is the second to break the eight minute barrier, although if that sounds off-putting then rest assured it’s one of the poppiest, most accessible on the tape.

“Take my hand and you’ll see
take my hand and just follow me”

You can get clean eating on glittery cassette tape or digital download via the Competition Bandcamp page. And if you like what you hear you can also check out Pollard’s other project, Rice Milk and his work with Good Food tapes and zines.

Cover art by Cecilia Serafini

The post Competition – clean eating appeared first on Various Small Flames.