QUEEN OF MISFITS

Vylet Pony is back! Six months after the devastation of isolation, loss, and was taken on through the introspective experience of perusing three years of letters from a sudden- and-inexplicably-absent "friend," Rainbow Dash is back in the "world" (Equestria). Yes, using a very social milieu similar to the previous year's Giggles, Zelda Trixie Lulamoon is back in her beloved world, fully engaged with her people--perhaps even with a whole new and exciting "friend group" The sadness and loss has been dealt with--though remnants, of course, remain to constantly remind her of her past, but the characters she channels herself through in the My Little Pony world are active, social, interactive, talkative, making connections--making life!--again. It's not easy, "adulting" is hard and almost never as carefree and fun as childhood, but there is now a tribe--Zelda's tribe--to make new memories with. Musically, the music here still flows with the soulful undercurrents of the previous album while returning to "more mature" versions of the --sounding more like Owl City or The Arborist than Tracey Thorn/Everything But The Girl. The walks down old paths of anime EDM are far less frenetic, far less cinematic, more human and human-friendly despite the use of the My Little Pony universe to express the artist's progress.

I would like to apologize to the artist behind Vylet Pony for not being more versed in the worlds you live in and express through. My reviews are, therefore, meant much more to express my own feelings and reactions to your considerable artistry and talent. Having been a human before, I know some of what you have been experiencing but not, I confess, nearly the depth and breadth. But I keep wanting to listen to your music. And, as I continue to be drawn into your music, I feel so much! And what I marvel at the most is the way you've been allowed to explore the gift you've been given with which to process your life experiences. I feel so grateful for the way that my own creative outlets allow me to process, resolve, and move on from my own life experiences that I want to make sure to applaud you for your own means to self-discovery and "moving on." And, in case you haven't realized how therapeutic your "gifts" are, I want to perhaps help remind you of those powers that you not only possess but have been exploiting with great aplomb.

81 minutes of music is a lot to sift through. Let's suffice it to say that this Vylet Pony albums assures us that Zelda Trixie Lulamoon is moving on: back using the land of the living to find out more about themselves. Mega kudos, Pony! Though this album is definitely the least proggy of any of the eight albums I've thus far listened to but it is certainly a highly entertaining listening experience: Zelda's creativity and musical acumen have suffered little (though I do get the feeling from time to time that she's cruising on autopilot more than ever before).

3.5 stars; more valuable to collectors, fans, and those who resonate with the My Little Pony universe.