The Poni Republic, Venezuela *****
Rating: 95
By Carlos Reyes
The very best EP we’ve heard this year comes from this Venezuelan duo who promises to become huge (indie standards of course) in a close by future. Bruno EP consists of four enchanting tracks that were developed by female vocalist Loocila in Distrito Federal (Mexico) and Cheky in Caracas (Venezuela). They send material back and ford and found common ground in this astonishing debut. Jovenes y Sexys give us a great acoustic album that really steps up what it is to be an indie artist. They recorded the album with limited equipment; we can actually hear external noise in the background, capturing the atmospheric sounds of Caracas as a capital burg. An album of pure gentle approach, finds in simplicity a delicate but groundbreaking way to say so much. “El Reloj” is introduced by the sound of clicking and then the always engaging cuckoo sound that welcomes a beautiful voice that will later be accompanied by handclapping and sparkling instrumentation. “Suerte” shows influences from Juana Molina and is all about escapism and finding a midpoint to digest the toxics around us. Next is “Divine Hammer”, a clincher that right away became a favorite as I find The Breeders to be an amazing band. It is precarious to accept, but I confess I like this cover better than the original, as it is younger and sexier. The final track “Gold Day” features Joeiejoiejoie (Clement Marion) another great French artist signed under The Poni Republic. All four tracks are magnetically orgasmic and majestic in so many levels. Lo-fi pop with touches of folk and brushes of cheerful cosmos enhancing the greatness of a tiny project. This has an assured spot on my year’s top 10 albums for sure, close to the peak along with Juana Molina’s Un Dia and Arcangel’s La Maravilla. If you don’t download this album, which is FREE, you are nuts. I also include a brand new song titled “Sonic Sex for All”, which is a cover of the Mexican band Maniqui Lazer; it is not included on the EP but available for download at this MySpace page.
Download the Bruno EP FREE!
♫♫♫ "El Reloj"
♫♫♫ "Divine Hammer"
♫♫♫ "Sonic Sex For All" (Via Turn That Shit Off)
MySpace