The Pony - Thorns and Cutlery (1987, Cleopatra)

Here's a buncha haircut dudes from Australia with a thing for heartland, Americana-ish rock, sporting their fair share of Rickenbacker guitars to boot.  I suppose The Pony aren't far off from say, their Oz brethren Died Pretty, but this quartet gratifies considerably faster.  I dig the janglier tunes the most - "Broken Kites," "Ambition's Day Off," and "A Calling," all of which are satisfying enough to offset some of their tranquilizing ballad forays.  The overall effect is reminiscent of Athens, GA's Dreams So Real, not that the Pony were likely to catch wind of them at the time.  Before diving into this, be prepared for some surface noise.  Also, there is a slight skip around the six second mark of the opener "I Lied" that I was unable to rectify.  Perhaps more from these guys to come.

01. I Lied
02. Ambition's Day Off
03. A Calling
04. Blindman
05. The Answer
06. In the Background
07. Still Blue
08. Broken Kites
09. The Young Boys
10. Close-up
11. Hey Daddy
12. Reminds Me of Me

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