Dead Pony : "Eat My Dust"

 I really liked the nu-metal-tinged pop of "Ignore You"; it earned a 9 here. But this trip into the studio, they have refined what they were doing there and made it heavier; there is less pop-punk in the mix. Though some of the emphasis is still on hooky, infectious vocals, after hearing the first few singles, I was looking forward to this album. Anna Shields has more emphasis placed on her.. She is a strong front woman and should be front and center for more reasons than what might seem to the two that are most in your face. The first track is more of an intro, building into the title track here. There are more electronic elements driving things, but her vocal lines are airtight. You hear this song and can't imagine why they are not already on bigger stages. 

"Freak Like Me" is more dynamic, and there is a sexual element not only in the lyrics but in the groove, and is seems perhaps in showing more skin in their promo materials, she has grown into her own skin, and this is displayed in a more confident vocal performance. This defines girl power to me , as its not something that should prudishly repress the sex image and empower objectification. The lyrics might also be alluding to this. While many women trying to pull this off simply make videos that are better to watch with the sound muted, this is a well-balanced presentation, as the songs here matter.

"Fury" finds the chug of guitars laying down the foundation for her vocals to dance over. She is not trying to be Katy Perry, but the pop melding with metal hee works organically and benefits from stellar production. It makes sense that this is an ep as these songs were given meticulous attention to detail in the mix and a whole album of this might have pushed this back to a 2027 release. It also ensures that there is no filler. There are some interesting sounds on "Boom: that carries a more 90s alternative feel. It makes me think of bands I used to love, like the Guano Apes. The last song might be the msot melodic, and while it might not be as hooky as some of the earlier songs, it still works. I think they nailed what they do and presented a perfect sonic picture as who they are as a band, so I will give this one a 10.

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