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FUNKED UP

2117¬Montreal's foremost exponenents of Prince-inspired dirty funk are back with their new album. Critics so far are impressed, Rave Magazine seeing the album as an affirmation of the band's unique style.¬False¬

Middle of the Trail

2101¬Rootsy folkster Ray Lamontagne continues his career as a Radio 2 botherer with his new album. Critics see it as competent but hardly revolutionary, scores coming it at around 6 or 7.¬False¬

Towering achievement?

2098¬There's a very rare 10/10 from The Skinny for the rapper, pianist and producer's album, released to accompany a feature film also written and produced by the maverick Canadian. Such enthusiasm is not shared by the BBC or music OMH, who regard it as interesting but only partially successful.¬True¬
The Optimist

New Young Pony Club

The Optimist

Self-produced, self-funded second album of dance-punk from London five piece

Critics average rating

6.8

Label
The Numbers
Release date
08/03/2010
  1. 9.0 |  The Quietus

    An early contender for Quietus album of the year? It wouldn't be too optimistic to think so
    Read Review

  2. 9.0 |  No Ripcord

    It’s The Black Kids with their ambient, wandering attitude honed down to a laser-like focus. It’s CSS, it’s Paramore, it’s Miss Kittin, it’s bits of them all with a thousand times more attack
    Read Review

  3. 8.0 |  Independent on Sunday

    The Optimist is taut and dark, like The XX learning to dance, with basslines that seize your spine and hooks that snag your brai
    Read Review

  4. 8.0 |  Daily Telegraph

    All in all, it’s a cracking comeback
    Read Review

  5. 8.0 |  NME

    It is difficult to imagine a better pop album coming out this year
    Read Review

  6. 8.0 |  Rave Magazine

    An album that invites you to listen from beginning to end, and get lost in the haze – it’s less flashy than their first, for sure, but no less rewarding
    Read Review

  7. 8.0 |  State

    Self-produced, self-funded and self-released, The Optimist is much darker than their previous effort and the feeling is anything but upbeat
    Read Review

  8. 7.0 |  Clash

    Let’s get straight to business: NYPC have grown up
    Read Review

  9. 7.0 |  music OMH

    With nods to Siouxsie Sioux on the excellent title track and to Toni Halliday on Before The Light, it's all gone post-punk goth with a pop ethic
    Read Review

  10. 6.0 |  Q

    Print edition only

  11. 6.0 |  Drowned In Sound

    Despite forays into a wider world, and the dreamy, vulnerable and hypnotic subtlety of 'Stone', you can't help but think that NYPC have still got one foot firmly anchored in the glowstick glimmer of past glories
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  12. 6.0 |  The Guardian

    The 45 minutes of broody disco contained herein is never unlikable. But there's too much that sounds like what a New Young Pony Club album track ought to sound like
    Read Review

  13. 5.5 |  Pitchfork

    Too often gets lost in non-committal melodies as Bulmer tries and tries again to capture quote-worthy elegant wastefulnes
    Read Review

  14. 5.0 |  The Line Of Best Fit

    Recommended only to seriously die-hard NWPC fans, and even then you’ll probably want to spotify it first. Put this nag down
    Read Review

  15. 4.0 |  Uncut

    Print edition only

  16. 4.0 |  Pop Matters

    The band is too caught up in being serious to even realize that there’s not a whole going on beneath the surface
    Read Review

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Track preview & download

New Young Pony Club: The Optimist

  • Download full album for just £4.49
  • 1. Lost A Girl £0.99
  • 2. Chaos N/A
  • 3. The Optimist £0.99
  • 4. Stone £0.99
  • 5. We Want To £0.99
  • 6. Dolls £0.99
  • 7. Before The Light £0.99
  • 8. Oh Cherie £0.99
  • 9. Rapture £0.99
  • 10. Architect Of Love £0.99
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Prolific

2120¬These Virginian sludge-rockers find themselves releasing their fifth album in two years, a huge feat by anyone's standards. Critics are unsure whether any degree of quality can be sustained at that rate however, with Tiny Mix Tapes stating that in fleshing out their sound, they have drawn "too much attention to musical aspects [they] never had going for them".¬True¬

Duppy Love

2109¬Critics are falling over themselves to heap praise on this album of dub remixes of classic Roots Manuva tracks. It has managed a very decent showing on our chart, especially given that it is essentially a remix album. It has impressed so much that Culture Deluxe has proclaimed it as "possibly the most perfect reggae album released in the last 30 years". ¬True¬

Back On Top?

2114¬The Manic Street Preachers have had something of a critical rebirth with their last two albums, and that trend looks set to continue with their latest offering. The Line of Best Fit call it a "wonderful album", while The Fly reckon they "are in the form of their life". With only a few reviews in so far, it seems we could have a contender for the higher echelons of our chart.¬True¬

Pain and pleasure

2105¬Can the third of the three Mancunian electro-ish bands which featured in the BBC's Sound of 2010 list emulate the success of their counterparts, Delphic and Everything Everything? The jury's still out so far. NME is a big fan of the duo's 80s-inspired synthpop anthems, but The Guardian is far from convinced, and others find the album stylish but unremarkable. ¬True¬

Compilations & Reissues

They're not in the main chart as they skew things

  1. 8.5

    The Teardrop Explode Kilimanjaro: Deluxe Edition

  2. 8.5

    R.E.M. Fables Of The Reconstruction

  3. See full list