VYLET PONY

2024 is quite a year for Ms. Vylet! The music never stops, no! Released only months before Monarch of Monsters, Pony's ambitious first foray into true progressive rock music, Girls Who Are Wizards presented the world with an absolute EDM masterpiece.

1. "Girls Who Are Wizards" (5:58) What?! Really?! We're going to start like this: like the music for some Russian doll's skating party. And then the DJ jumps in and ramps things up--to levels I never expected! Wow! She wants us to dance! The strobe lights make it impossible to distinguish ghosts from people, animals from fantasy beings. And then Vy moves us yet again (already!) into new and different sensory experiences as she eventually smooths it out for vocals, humanoid, and voices, android/robotic/faerie. "The music never stops, NO!" she lets us know. The dance music to follow is more sedate and straightforward (the calm before the storm) but then Vy unleashes a barrage of absolute banger dance themes, here allowing the humans on the dance floor to remain coordinated and rhythmic (as opposed to robotic and syncopated). (9.5/10)

2. "The Story of DJ Goober" (3:48) to me this is the central theme to this whole album, and perhaps to Zelda Trixie Lulamoon's entire life: "The music never stops, No!" It's definitely the overwhelming favorite chant or slogan that the fan base has latched onto when discussing this album. (9.5/10)

3. "The Queen Is Back" (3:47) an absolutely awesome squeaky-snarky OZRIC TENTACLES-like dubstep palette that serves as a set up for a killer rap. How can such a beautiful voice produce such a scary rap? And the samples dropped seamlessly into the mix are out-of-this-world perfect! Amazing! Such a cool song! (10/10)

4. "The Wizard of Wubz (Wub Anthem)" (3:38) more amazingly-quilted dub stop! No! The music never stops! You go girl! I'm just in awe watching from the sidelines! (And exhausted for the ride you've taken me on!) (9.375/10)

5. "There's a Menu Theme Nestled Within Us All" (3:32) the first seam in the album flow finds us in a resting pool between waterfalls and class five rapids. But then things pick up: the raft is flowing again--moving down the stream into the bigger, faster river, heightening our vigilance so that we're ready for and aware of the possible obstacles ahead. But it's safe! The river widens, we lie back and bask in the high midday summer sun! This is heaven! It's like taking a trip back to the techno R&B hits of the mid 1980s--the songs that the Black-music oriented stations used to play (Janet, Stephanie Mills, Cherelle, Karen White, Rene & Angela, Deniece Williams, Teena Marie, etc.). And it's all so effortless! Thank you, Pony, for being such a master adventure planner! (9.125/10)

6. "Musicians of Ponyville (Horse Friends Pt. 3: Return of the Dreaded Vy Scratch?)" (4:35) opening with some electric piano riffs from the lexicon of Western Classical music, Pony expertly works them into a nice off-road dirt-bike ride that soon turns down some rather treacherous hill and woodland trails. The open air scenes are again themed by a return to those classical riffs (in their EDM dubstep forms, of course). The insertion and placement of EDM noises, shifts, and sampled voice and oddities is nothing less than a display of absolute genius! And it all SOUNDS SO GOOD! Adrenaline junkies beware (or be aware) of this song! (9.125/10)

7. "Reflected in the Eyes of the Cavern Lurker" (4:25) okay, the bike trail ends at the beach, at Pacific Coast dusk and sunset. The view is almost astral as time and events slow down to a nanocrawl, the creatures and beings of subspace flowing in and out of our awareness, moving like spectres in a YES song. "High vibration go on, to the Sun, oh let my heart, Dreaming! Past a mortal as me. Where can I be?" Brilliant and, for me, very nostalgic. (Could you tell?) (10/10)

8. "Creature City" (4:27) a kind of jazzy electronica song that reminds me of something that could've come off of a BUGGLES album . . . in 2010. Or one of Rebecca Sugar's cartoon tracks . . . if only she were a better music maker. The cartoon voice lead vocal is a bit out of my taste palette--as is the stop-and-wait Saturday morning simplified music, but it's still a display of genius and ubertalent. (8.875/10)

9. "Potion Seller" (5:41) oh! moving to the funk-R&B side of the EDM electronic dubstep world. The music does not stop! With the female vocals it even works like something from one of the hit-wonder divas of the top of the charts like Janet Jackson, Beyonce Knowles, or Christina Agulera--at least until the dubstep instrumental takes over, then it becomes the property of some DJ for a dance remix. Not my favorite but by no means poor or much of a let down: this artist is so impressive! (9/10)

10. "Sacred Dragon" (5:30) stepping down to lo-fi for the vocal-serving EDM music here, Pony sings about the power inside that is making her stronger and stronger. The music is quite a bit smoother and more radio- and pop-friendly here--at least until the third minute when the instrumental section takes over. The innocent/ethereal/breathy vocals distract and deceive us a little from the power message. (8.875/10)

11. "Battle! Against the Banished Sorcerer Knight, Stinklebug" (3:40) jumping now into some more serious testosterone; is MLP world in danger of being tsunamied? So, who is performing in this battle? The DJ seems to have everything under her control: listening to all of the offensive epithets being thrown its way but then deflecting and cleansing the dance floor palette with some badass waves and grooves of its own. Awesome! (9.5/10)

12. "Facing Oblivion to Become the Lode Star" (7:00) some variations on and recapitulations of previous themes--both musically and lyrically (The music never stops!), Vylet seems to be tying up loose ends, mending broken ties, winding down toward an end. Even the lyrics of this song seem to be retrospective and wistfully reflective, while the music is slightly more subdued, linear and controlled. I don't know if Vy's done this intentionally or even knowingly but even if it's all intuition, it's sheer genius. (14.25/15)

13. "In the Name of Friendship" (6:43) the sun comes shining through after the cold night of stars and mystical adventures. Beautiful finish to an absolutely stunning album. (9.25/10)

Total Time 62:44

It is SO GOOD to hear Vylet Pony return to the dub-step EDM palette that she explored earlier in her career with such impact and success. Her range is so much broader and her sound and track selections so original and unique--and yet still embedded in her own voice, her own earworm chord progressions--it's just a wonder to observe (this unfolding of higher and higher levels of mastery). It is OBVIOUS that, for Ms. Zelda Trixie Lulamoon, the music never stopped: it's all been inside her, festering, stewing, taking its time to emerge as yet another James Beard Award winning recipe! And each side dish arrives with seamless timing and perfect palette flow for my taste buds! I am in the stupor of a gourmand's post-meal coma! And I LOVE the new-found DEEP wellspring of power (and self-love) DJ Luigi has found! The incredible talent I've felt in this artist is finally being tapped to its fullest potential! Yeah! Long live the Pony!

A/five stars; a true masterpiece of incredible music. Call it prog if you can, if you will, (I wish you would!), regardless of its categories, this is one amazing album, from perfect start to perfect finish and everything in between. As much as I love and respect Vy for aiming "high" for success and notoriety in Prog World (i.e. with Monarch of Monsters), I really think her talents and skills lend itself to something bigger and more modern than that old Dinosaur World; in the world of EDM and dubstep and whatever else this is (supposed to be), Vylet Pony reigns as a god(dess)! Which is to say, I like this album MUCH more than her 2024 alternative (Monarch of Monsters). In fact, this is definitely one of my five favorite albums of 2024--right up there with Terrapath, Twenty Pills Without Water, Cold Waves Divide Us, and Tarot Part I. Based upon ratings and metrics alone (the Fishscales) this would be my runaway Album of the Year and the ONLY album to earn true masterpiece status from the 2024 releases I've heard.

With I Was the Loner of Paradise Valley Vylet Pony has evolved out of her happy-go-lucky EDM frivolity returning to more "serious" layered and sophisticated song construction with heavier, more adult lyrical content. I, for one, am greatly relieved as this immensely talented artist had expressed a kind of deeply introspective "diary" approach to her musical expressiveness when, at age 18 & 19, she was going through some really heavy, rough times. By throwing herself deeply into her My Little Pony universe, she was able to, for a time, deflect her self-discovery in favor of some fun and good times--which was expressed with the monstrously long albums of Super Pony World: Fairytales, CUTIEMARKS (And the Things that Bind Us), can opener's notebook: fish whisperer, and Carousel (An Examination of The Shadow, Creekflow, and its Life as an Afterthough). It was with this latter February 2023 release that I feel I began to see glimmers of more serious musicianship and composition (with its many borrowed riffs and motifs from the domain of Classical music an the confident in-your-face swag of 1990s Janet Jackson), but this new album finds Vy buckling down and really producing high-quality compositions rendered with the same attention to detail and engineering acumen she was expressing back in 2017. In short, it feels like Zelda Trixie Lulamoon is choosing human life: at age 24 she's showing signs of growing up! (My experience as a parent/uncle, etc. is that Gen Z is taking its time choosing adulthood--defiantly daring the world to "coerce" it to participate in the world that "we" (the previous generations) created and that they've been "forced" to negotiate. I know not what the world will look like as these young adults take on independence, jobs, relationships, parenthood, homeownership, and control (or, better, responsibility for) of their lives. I'm sure it will be interesting. Perhaps the successful takeover of the Trumpian distortion of reality will satisfy and replace their own dystopian view of the world: then they can continue to live in a perpetual state of alternate reality!

My aim with this review, however, was to celebrate the return of Vylet Pony, the artist, to the creative and innovative music-making that made me think she was headed for an entry into the world of progressive rock that she once thought was her destiny. (Will 2024's Monarch of Monsters signify the fulfillment of and commitment to that destiny?)

In this, Zelda Trixie Lulamoon's last album release reflective of her "amateur" stage as musician, one can definitely feel/hear Pony's near-mastery of all of her new equipment and recording and engineering techniques--plus the compostions are feeling way more sophisticated and mature that previous years. (Remember: this album is reflective of her 18th year on the planet.) Everything will burst into full maturity and full mastery with the next era's masterpiece album, Mystic Acoustics.

The music here is very poppy--almost bubblegum pop--but full of tons of great hooks, making each song quite enjoyable. More careful examination of the lyrical content expressed in each song might bring some understanding of the popular and private response garnered by this album--some of which will circle back to haunt Zelda and result in the 2019 release of Love Letters: Colourless. In the meantime, let's sit back and enjoy Vylet Pony's happy-go-lucky music from her carefree naïve period of first love(s).

— First review of this album —

An instrumental ambient EP released in VY's "Dropout Era" (her 22nd year on the planet this time around), it is obvious that she's feeling regrets about her public coming out--more about the loss of what she (probably) termed as "easier times." (Note the title of the album's opening song: "We Worked So Hard to Leave Equestria and Now All I Want Is to Go Back"; we all know how thinly veiled VY's Equestrian lyrics and story lines are from the events and experiences of her real life world.)

While I LOVE all of this music: it is beautiful, peaceful, healing, relaxing, enjoyable, and, of course, retains all of the mastery VY has accrued over her 15 years as a songcrafting musician, but I do miss 1) her beautiful and amazingly evocative voice, 2) her theatric and elaborately-layered "proggy" and EDM soundscapes, and 3) the intelligence and vulnerability of her wonderful lyrics.

As for the music, there is still enough lo-fi dub-step (and smile-provoking Morse code) mixed in with the Yes "Soon, Oh Soon the Light" synth soundscapes to make it uniquely Pony (and still uniquely good).

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.

An album of notable variety--enough so that one might conclude that it might not be a concept--but, no! It is! And one might think these songs are not issued from within a My Little Pony perspective but again, you'd be wrong. Vylet Pony is using these songs to express some of Zelda's very deep realizations about herself through the same Pony character, just using a weirdly diverse song palette in order to do so. Here she's lamenting the unbeknownst-to-her ghosting of a person whom she thought was really close to her. The letters here are from a friend who had been responding to Vylet's Love Letter album from three years previous. The letters (from "Rarity") have been collected and accumulated by "Rainbow Dash" over the three years that have passed since Love Letters was published and are now being reviewed and responded to by Rainbow Dash in the mysterious silence and absence created by Rarity's disappearance. Through it all Rainbow Dash is coming to terms with her own sexuality, sense of loss for friends/relationships past, and loneliness/isolation. The music here is often mirroring or drawing from the soulful EDM music coming from NeoSoul artists like James Blake, Sampha, Estrella Del Sol, Lianne La Havas, BANKS, and other female pop artists dabbling in the world of electronic hypertreatment (like Björk). There is, however, little to no glitch-anime EDM of the sort used in Pony's more recent albums. There is a continuing exploration of sounds and styles familiar to the psychedelic soul side of pop music and there is still the occasional presence of "little girl" themes and tropes. There is some exploration of sound and sound combinations, but more often than not the songs present themselves as fairly simple (though still odd) constructs with a lot of spaciousness and very introspective, often heavy, soulful breathy vocals used to express the often sad lyrics. Sadness is, I think, the predominant feeling I get, over and over, from the music on this album. I don't sense much if any anger--at least not in aggressive forms (maybe in biting word choices). I do feel a dreaminess in the world Rainbow Dash is expressing from, a rather severe detachment from the bigger world and other people/creatures. Again, this is a very introspective album: we are allowed to bear witness to some really deep soul-searching being done, I'm assuming, by Zelda through Vylet Pony's Rainbow Dash. Occasionally I get this feeling that Zelda is kindred spirit to such torch singers as Billy Holliday, Bessie Smith, Nina Simone, Eva Cassidy, Sandy Denny, Tracey Thorn, or even Norah Jones. I guess as Zelda enters personhood she is forced to deal with the loss (and losses) of childhood. At the same time, she is sounding more and more like an adult--one that is not particularly excited or happy with the prospect of moving forward--is more "stuck" wallowing in the dross of the past. Kudos for her ability to use her art and craft to process. I hope she experiences healing and progress in the process.

I find myself blown away by the catharsis I feel this "character" going through--which culminates in the incredibly emotional and powerful duo of songs, "Beauty Lies" and "Everydream." They alone may be worth the journey of the entire album.

A massive 90+ minute album released from Zelda Trixie Lulamoon's creative alter ego, Vylet Pony, this one in her 20th year, the listener gets to experience more of Zelda's increasing range and variety as she experiments with more new sounds and instruments and an ever-growing list of collaborators. Orchestration! Raw, raunchy vocals! Brasilian lyrics and musical style! more EDM and, of course, her continued mastery of the keyboard kingdom--both in her Joe Hisaishi-like piano and broad (and effective) use of synths. Of course this is another epic soundtrack to a My Little Pony world-based story. (Whether or not it's a story of Vylet's own design is unsure to me.) The video game and anime-like EDM themes, scenes and songs are so powerful--so fully realized! Vylet is definitely a master of the genre--which makes me often wonder that she doesn't render all of her musical ideas into this powerful world of musical expression--especially since it matches up so well with the anime world that she's so dedicated to.

This must have been quite the undertaking--especially if Zelda was trying to live a full life on the side! While it is not quite so seamless in its flow and continuity as other Pony albums she's released, it is for the most part, I believe, quite successful at reflecting an alternate reality--through immersion within this very empowering and expressive "alternate" universe.

Of the five Vylet Poney albums I've heard since 2017's masterpiece, Mystic Acoustics, this is the one that definitely seems the most immersed in the My Little Pony universe--the least connected to and expressive of the 21st Century Earth-based world that Zelda was born into. Does this distance connote a disconnect, chosen or unconscious, from the circumstances and "reality" of her own life? The miracle of Homeward, if this is, in fact, the first album release after Gwen's realization and/or declaration of her trans status, that she has so many collaborators involved with the project. I'm glad she had so much support!

Most powerful songs for me include "Roses," "Penumbra," "The Armada," "An Odyssey," "Swarm," "Elysium," the Star Wars-ish "Cataclysm," and the metal-EDM mashup, "Danger Close."

In the nineteenth year in which Zelda Lexie Lulamoon occupies this current bodymind. Alter-ego Vylet Pony is exploring both the misinformation that their media and school miseducation has inundated (tried to brainwashed) them with as well some Stevie Wonder-like funk/R&B musical styles. There's a lot of the pensiveness of Zelda's contemporary artists like Alicia Keys in Pony's lyrical musings, but it's the instrumental experimentations that I'm amused by: all sorts of new sounds being explored here that I've not heard Pony explore to this degree (especially the new variety of guitar and synth sounds and styles). She's not great at any of them but they are all tastefully appropriate in both their location and use--and effective! Her Fiona Apple-like singing voice is quite enjoyable--even when she goes Tracey Thorn / Everything But The Girl monotone. 1. "Voyages" (2:23) is quite powerful with its recorded interview with a child social psychologist. 2. "Keepsakes" (4:49) really introduces the new Stevie Wonder sound palette but it's the funk of 3. "Deerbats" (3:56) that really convinced me to give this album the attention it deserves. (9.75/10)The next four songs are good, culminating in the album's Yuki Kajiura/Eiffel 65-sounding title song. (9/10) 8. "The Magic of Mischief" (4:01) sounds like a Freddy Mercury-Joss Stone (or Christina Aguilera) collaboration. 9. "Squid Galaxy" (3:21) follows the style made famous by Owl City's "Fireflies." 10. "True Beauty" (3:48) is a masterpiece of ambient mood soundscapes providing support to koto and singer Myles Vice with Vylet's two-part Alicia Keys-like vocal performance. It's absolutely gorgeous--and heart-breaking. Definitely another favorite. (10/10) 11. "Back to Love" (4:00) is where Zelda's deep longing is felt strongest. Unfortunately the supplemental instrumentation used in the soundscape here takes away from the vocal and lyrics. I can, however, still feel her deeply-felt draw to the imaginary/fantasy world represented by the My Little Pony Equestria world. This theme and feeling is continued through the final two songs. Longing for a better place; longing for love to take away her pain and disappointment.

I feel as if the music of Glitter may perhaps be a sign of the sadness of being hurt and damaged that Zelda is repressing--the loss of youth and innocence and the realization that events and circumstances have really messed with her. This will, of course, lead to the therapeutic catharsis of future albums, especially 2024's Monarch of Monsters. Would that all humans could find similarly creative outlets to use for the processing of their issues.

While I consider this album a masterpiece of musical expression, it does not qualify as a true, middle-of-the-road prog album.

Vylet's followup to the emotionally heavy Tales from Equestria. It would seem that Zelda's emotional deep-dive has made an up-turn.

1. "Floating" (2:23) pensive piano and ukelele play a duet of the main melody with odd radio and space noises a constant in the background and the appearance of accordion/harmonium/melodica (I cannot tell the difference). nice, gentle, pretty, and not too depressive (though it does still sound like the music of a hikikomori). (4.75/5)

2. "Destiny Station" (4:00) Ryuichi Sakamoto-like melodies played with a koto-like instrument over beautiful if muted lo-fi electronica "band" funk-groove. Vy joins in with her beautiful voice at 2:35, replacing the koto-thing with her singing of the joys, amazement, and implied gratitude of having a (re-)union with a loved friend for a daytime outing. Absolutely stunningly gorgeous (and hope-filled) song despite the odd use of "koto-thing" and cheesy synth horn to play the main melody in the first half. (9.75/10)

3. "Spirits" (3:33) Vy and her long-time collaborator, GalazySquid, share lead vocal duties--singing the main melody's lyrics together at times--over a gorgeous lo-fi brastep four chord piano-and-synth wash progression. more beautiful lo-fi music with Vy's gorgeous laid back voice singing her accepting-yet-introspective observations (9.5/10)

4. "Ember" (5:09) Vylet sings over a rather mainstream pop-soul chord progression (using jazz-pop chords--sounding a lot like a Bruce Hornsby version of GENESIS/Phil Collins' "Hold on My Heart") a fairly emotional song with a fairly straightforward vehicle about the "ember" of hope, love, and meaning that she's (re-)discovered (another person? perhaps something/one inside herself?) that has given her reason to feel as if her life has taken a turn (for the positive). (8.875/10)

5. "Our Light and After" (4:20) another light, melodically-engaging earworm of a song with Pepper Mei contributing lead vocals (Vy in the b vox). After the dreamy-nostalgic first minute, the song jumps into a fairly simple and accessible sequenced electronica motif for about 50 seconds before subduing into a cool two-hit-per-chord progression of synth chords over which Pepper Mei continues singing about choices and power one can have in one's life. Then the EDM lite motif returns for another minute before the music decays into treated piano and synth cor anglais for the finish. Simple but beautiful and not over-stimulating. (9/10)

6. "Nowhere" (4:03) ukelele chord strumming and piano/synth & programmed drums (and clapping) beneath Vy's plaintive voice. (Man! She has a gorgeous voice: so much longing and pain being hidden in those scratchy-breathy notes!) The dreamy reverb palette used beneath the vocals in the third minute are so effective--thick strings and "distant" piano. Another beautiful tune about having to leave/give up the former haven of Equestria knowing that the [couple or group] will have each other and their own dreams and survival mechanisms to live off of. (9.25/10)

7. "Far Away From Home" (3:20) more ukelele chord strumming, this time sustained alone for about 25 seconds before piano joins in beneath. At 0:49 a cartoon-like little girl voice enters expressing its fear (to Stella--the speaker's "home") about having to leave Equestria. Then Vy enters singing around 1:40 with distant sustained saw-guitar playing between the verses over the gentle walking paced-drum machine. (8.875/10)

8. It Rained Today" (2:31) a repeat of previous themes, chords, and melody lines from strummed ukelele, "distant" piano, melodica, scratchy radio noise sample on repeat, and muted drum beat. (4.3333/5)

Total Time 29:19

I am so pleased for the return of some happiness and perception of beauty in Vy's world (if this music has any role in reflecting her truth--as it always has before this). She has been working through the pain of expanded realities of the cruelties of human life--of both adulthood and newly realized childhood events (that have been perceived as traumatic). I had the feeling that Trixie's beautiful spirit had far more strength than the demons that pass by (or try to occupy) her.

A-/five stars; a masterful collection of songs that I cannot, of course, include among the year's best albums due to its extreme brevity. But, I want to jump for joy for the growth and healing Zelda has (apparently) traveled through.

Ukeleles, accordion, harmonica, clay pipes, "trumpets" and programmed NeoSoul/R&B and Indie-Pop rhythm tracks and strung-out emo "male" vocals: where is Vylet taking us with this one? Is it even set in or representative of a story/adventure from the My Little Pony universe?

1. "Over Equestria" (3:38) beautiful, cinematic piano instrumental to open the album. Though it feels heavy, it also feels as if a perfect continuation from Pony's previous album, Mystic Acoustics. A top three song despite the fact that I feel misled into thinking the music that follows will be beautiful and not depressing. (10/10)

2. "In a Rush" (4:03) Latinized jazz-rock R&B! (Owl City once again comes to mind.) The chorus is, however, more animated feeling a bit like some of the 1980s techno-jazz-rock (The Ambitious Lovers, Gene Loves Jezebel, Modern English, Bill Nelson/Be Bop Deluxe). (8.6667/10)

3. "I Can't Stop Thinking" (4:18) ukelele's, piano, and androgynous singing voice performing a very standard-sounding emo-Indie-pop song. (8.75/10)

4. "Little Hugs" (4:05) Harold Budd-like piano over which long-time collaborator Namii performs beautifully with her beautiful soprano voice. Ukelele is present as are background vocals from Vylet and GalaxySquid and some kalimba. A very pretty, even heart-wrenching, if simple and poppy song. A top three song. (9/10)

5. "Hard to Say Anything" (2:35) two seventh chords, one minor, one major, plucked on a classical guitar, soon joined by ukelele, accordion, plastic/clay flute, and more of Pony's plaintive androgynous vocals. (I swear that there's a male voice in there doubling Pony's.) (4.5/5)

6. "Sugar Belle" (3:00) another modern NeoSoul/R&B-sounding song pulled together to carry one of Vylet's more poppy vocals. (These are the lyrics and vocals of an artist that wants some exposure on radio/streaming services.) (8.875/10)

7. "Hold On Before I Forget" (3:49) sounds like the music a heroine tripper would hear or crave. Do I hear the strains of the lovely voice of happy girl in the distant background behind the lead voice of depressed Andro-persona? Gentle and dreamy with some trip-hop lite rhythm tracks sneaking in from below from time to time, I'd love to know what this song represents from the My Little Pony universe. (8.875/10)

8. "Oak Library" (3:24) fake-cheery ukelele-bread Indie-trip-hop pop from a drugged up depressive. Herbie Hancock-like synth noises and synth trumpet in the foreground before the Wild West next-the-campfire harmonica pushes its way in. Did Zelda have her computer break down or her keyboards taken away? At least there is an effort, as lame and half-hearted as it is, to express some "happiness" here. But the question I must ask is, Why? (8.75/10)

9. "Rarity Dozing in a Coffee Shop at 1AM" (2:29) an artist caught up in some introspective piano pseudo-classical improvisation. (4.375/5)

10. "Say What You Want" (3:26) now here is the voice that Pony has allowed us to get used to over the previous albums, only here it is continuing to project and perpetuate the feeling that this individual is on the edge of checking out of this human life. (8.875/10)

11. "That Feeling I Get in My Heart" (3:30) a little in-room party? I'm encouraged! And her lovely happy voice escapes for us to hear in the final minute. Is healing occurring?! Probably my third favorite song.(9/10)

12. "Polaroid" (3:24) do I detect a little life shining forth from our little shut-in? Maybe she created this as she was coming out of one of her drug-induced stupors. It has the beautiful voice that Zelda has let us come to identify her with in the past (as opposed to the monotone of her depressive andro-self.) (8.75/10) 13. "Every Little Thing She Does" (3:15) soulful dub-step drums and deep bass beneath ukelele soloing. Herbie synth soloing joins in during the second minute. Then a recorded-from-television voice-over from a My Little Pony scene enters to express the typical carefree confident personalities of that show. But then Vylet's two voices: depressive andro and sultry female join in to sing together, side by side, as if to show us that the two can live and work together as one. Interesting! (8.875/10)

14. "Comets" (3:06) gentle, pensive pseudo-classical piano noodling over spacious strains of synth strings. The strings begin to populate and swell in the third minute before dropping away for Pony's Joe Hisaishi/Miyazaki-like finale. (8.875/10)

15. "Trails" (3:07) bedroom-recorded guitar chord strumming with ukelele noodling over the top and a few vocal "oohs" and "you"s from our reluctant andro hero. I feel the healing spirit of Toby Driver here. (8.875/10)

Total Time 51:09

Overall, this album's music sounds like the music an 18-year old heavily-sedated hikikomori might compose in the confines of their own bedroom. Why the individual is choosing this severe withdrawal from the "outside" world seems, if I had to guess, to have something to do with family dynamics--possibly denial of traumatic/triggering patterns. Whether the drug use is medicinal or self-selected for the numbing effects it is definitely dampening the individual's capacity for excitement and reactivity. Even the sound engineering of these recordings are so much less polished and "cared for" than anything Pony's done before--which is disappointing since her previous penchant for pristine sound production and seemless flow from song to song has been one of the qualities that has impressed me to no end. My issue here, however, is not with the artist's freedom and ability to grow and change forms of expression but with the attitudes and vibe being offered the world through this album's music. It's touching, it's introspective, but it's also full of selfishness, manipulative self-pity, while still oozing with such extreme talent--talent that flows through this being with such effortlessness and ease that it almost seems wasted--especially in light of all of the AMAZING music Zelda has conjured up before this! But then, I have to argue that THIS IS STILL GREAT MUSIC! It's just so simple and feels as if so little effort has been put into its creation--which just goes to help prove my previous point: that HIGH QUALITY music just flows through Zelda: she barely has to try and it still comes! Again I must temper my judgments, deductions, and suppositions with the disclaimer that I am only projecting from my own life experiences and understanding of the trials and tribulations afforded the human condition: I do not know Zelda. I love the way in which she chooses to process her self-discovery through music and then so bravely chooses to share them with the public. We are SO fortunate--and I feel ever so grateful for the gift of having been led to her music. And, yes, I understand that this was Zelda in her nineteenth year and that all 18-year olds have [&*!#] to work through. I guess my reaction to her music (and this album) are mere testaments to the power of her ability to convey her "place" in the world at the time of the composition, recording, and publication of her music.

B/four stars; an excellent if depressing and less-than-expected low-energy effort of songmaking. Vylet Pony is in an extremely introspective state: Please do not disturb!