Fantastic Playroom

iTunes Review

Unabashed Blondie fans with muted guitars and jacked up synths? A new Abba for the New Millennium hipster? Cool, sassy, Londoners making cool, sassy dance music? All of the above! Although sleeker and not quite as edgy as fellow dance-punk bands LCD, !!! or CSS (or first wave dance-punkers Gang of Four, ESG or Delta 5, for that matter), NYPC unquestionably shares the bloodline of those groups. You get the feeling that Pony Club’s DNA strands are linked by a chain of little disco balls, rather than safety pins and stale, sticky beer. Tahita Bulmer’s detached, botox'd vocal delivery has precious little variation and an excess of attitude, capable of merciless teasing (“I can make you ice cream”) and a rather bored bemusement (“No romantic pedigree; Suck me in and spit me out”). Standouts include, of course, “Ice Cream” (strong enough to survive being released two years before Fantastic Playroom); “Get Lucky” and “Hiding on the Staircase,” both impeccable interpretations of disco with punk flavors, and some great guitars-as-percussion on the former track; “F.A.N.,” which has a reverential “Rapture” vibe (the Blondie song, not the band); and the moody and seductive “Get Go,” with its reverb and fuzzy guitars. Whether you call it electroclash, dance-punk, or new wave revival, NYPC is one club that may become a habit.