Pit Pony - Dead Stars

Once again channelling the rawness of the North East coast, Pit Pony return with their second album Dead Stars. The album sees the band meld a myriad of influences from 50s doo-wop to heavy rock while frontwoman Jackie Purver navigates the complexities of modern life. A broader and more ambitious, but yet wholly cohesive follow up to their debut album World To Me, Dead Stars promises to reveal infinitely finer details with each listen.

Fiercely honest, Jackie’s lyricism portrays an intense duality and a vulnerability that is instantly relatable. Turning inwards to explore notions of motherhood, imposter syndrome and getting older, while simultaneously outwards through commentary on the cost of living, polluted water, the constant sell on social media and the ‘off menu’ Starbucks coffee obsession.

With the band citing the recent influences of Blue Weekend and Skinty Fia alongside the likes of Can and the soundtracks of Ennio Moriconne, mastering engineer Christian Wright (Wolf Alice, Fontaines D.C., Pigs x7) proves the perfect fit with Chris McManus (Blank Studios) heading up recording and production. Sonically, Pit Pony remain loyal to their roots, noting the influence of regional titans Nadine Shah and The Futureheads and with the “ENGLISH ACCENT god damn it” reminder on PJ Harvey’s Uh Huh Her in mind, Jackie Purver stays true to her accent.

Dead Stars sees Pit Pony deliver an expanded but yet more balanced and personal conception of their craft. Garth Purver explains that the band were aiming for a more rounded and complete record “that showcased multiple sides to us but hung together as one piece of work rather than a collection of separate tracks.” While Andrew Jones mentions how the band “encouraged each other to pull on those strands and incorporate more of our personal taste in the sound”.