“Superglue” bounces in leading off the new PONY record, Clearly Cursed, like a big 1980s MTV wave hit.

“Middle of Summer” has a dreamy pop feel that reminds me of indie legends Velocity Girl.

“Brilliant Blue” is quite possibly as perfect as a breezy pop song can get.

The highs for this Toronto band are way up there. And while there are no lows, it is tough to keep the immaculate pace of those three songs up throughout.

There is a driving, “la la la” harmonic intensity to the songs that is sometimes best digested in small samples. I have a very different reaction when listening to the full record than I do if just one PONY song pops up in a party mix. Any of these songs, especially the highlighted ones, are welcome in between songs from a bunch of other artists, but they are less welcome as an album in full because they each have a big, red-lining blast of sound that can cause them to overwhelm a bit over time.

That said, there’s no discounting the value of Clearly Cursed. It’s, um, clearly a gorgeous bunch of songs. For fans of Veruca Salt, Julianna Hatfield, and Waxahatchee, it’s going to be a treat.

PONY is led by by Sam Bielanski (vocals and guitar) and Matty Morand (guitar), rounded our by Christian Beale (bass) and Joey Ginaldi (drums). The band released its debut record, TV Baby in 2021, followed by Velveteen in 2023. Clearly Cursed continues the band’s brand of whip smart power pop, that should lead them to greater heights.

PONY 2026 Tour Dates (Supporting Phone Boy and Heart Attack Man)

Wed
18
Feb
Detroit, MI, US
Lager House

PONY
Thu
19
Feb
Windsor, ON, Canada
Meteor

Fri
20
Feb
Toronto, ON, Canada
Drake Hotel

Sat
21
Feb
Montreal, QC, Canada
L’Escogriffe Bar Spectacle (L’Esco)

Mon
23
Feb
Rochester, NY, US
The Bug Jar

Tue
24
Feb
Hamden, CT, US
Space Ballroom

Fri
27
Feb
Queens, NY, US
Trans-Pecos

Sat
28
Feb
Boston, MA, US
Cafe 939

Sun
01
Mar
Washington, DC, US
Pearl Street Warehouse

Tue
03
Mar
Richmond, VA, US
Richmond Music Hall

Wed
04
Mar
Pittsburgh, PA, US
Crafthouse Stage & Grill

Sat
07
Mar
St Louis, MO, US
Off Broadway

Sun
08
Mar
Chicago, IL, US
Schuba’s

Thu
02
Apr
Jersey City, NJ, US
White Eagle Hall

Sat
04
Apr
Baltimore, MD, US
Baltimore Soundstage

Tue
07
Apr
Virginia Beach, VA, US
Elevation 27

Fri
10
Apr
Athens, GA, US
40 Watt Club

Thu
16
Apr
Nashville, TN, US
The Basement East

Thu
23
Apr
Sacramento, CA, US
Harlow’s

Mon
27
Apr
Santa Ana, CA, US
The Observatory

Tue
28
Apr
Tucson, AZ, US
191 Toole

Fri
01
May
Omaha, NE, US
Slowdown

Sat
02
May
Milwaukee, WI, US
Rave/Eagles Club

Sun
03
May
Minneapolis, MN, US
Fine Line

Tue
05
May
Chicago, IL, US
Park West

Wed
06
May
Grand Rapids, MI, US
Pyramid Scheme

Fri
08
May
Louisville, KY, US
Mercury Ballroom

Sat
09
May
Columbus, OH, US
Newport Music Hall

Order Clearly Cursed by Pony HERE
Order Tickets for Pony HERE