Pony Girl - “Highways”

Ladies and gentlemen, slip into a decent pair of headphones for the decadent and dreamy sounds of Ottawa-Hull-based indie rockers Pony Girl.

Their new track is called “Highways,” and as the title suggests, it is a smooth ride through a luminous and enchanting soundscape. Equal parts shoegaze and dream pop, the tune quickly fades in before some dazzling guitar chords appear, guiding our ears to a quick drum fill. The rhythm falls into place and “Highways” embarks on its ultra-chill voyage through the glorious lands of introspection.

Vocally, we are picking up some bits of Ben Gibbard as they delightfully and effectively weave the lyrics around the arrangement. The sound is smooth and gentle and we anticipate many of you falling in love with the track at this point. However, if you’ve been reading our reviews, you’ll know that we cannot resist a good male + female duet, so when the harmonies appear on the back half of the verse, we knew we had discovered gold.

If for some strange reason “Highways” has not already completely won you over, just wait until the elevation of the hook. The drums begin to hit a bit harder and the song is joined by an additional layer of guitar, literally causing the production to double in size. The vocal harmonies remain for that extra height and width, leaving the listener helpless as it ear-worms its way into the soundtrack of the weekend.

At nearly five minutes in length, “Highways,” of course, is filled with some dynamic fluctuation and the breakdown and subsequent build after the second chorus is truly divine. Reverberating piano notes and synths churn and swirl, ultimately resulting in an ethereal and glorious listening experience. We cannot say yes to this one enough.

“Highways” comes from Pony Girl’s upcoming LP, Laff It Off, due for release on October 27th.

-HD