Pony in the Pancake | In Dreams
(Cuchabata Records)
Guided by cousins Dan Prockop (drums) and Rob Flynn (guitar/vocals), Pony in the Pancake have been the sunshine/dream pop stalwarts of the Capital District since making the scene in 2003. In Dreams, a cassette (and digital) release on Canada’s Cuchabata label, refines this sweetly enigmatic band’s template of shimmering synths, jangling guitars, and wide-eyed lyricism. A gently driving cover of Silver Apples’ 1969 classic “I Have Known Love” opens the set in representative fashion. The nine original compositions pleasantly blur together with sweet harmonies, reverb-heavy production, and buoyant optimism, even when tinged with melancholy. Fans of the Beach Boys, the chiming pop of New Zealand’s great Flying Nun label, and the romantic side of the Velvet Underground will enjoy. The band has a prolific back catalog of more than 15 records and more material in the can. A true regional treasure.
This article appears in March 2023.
