The Oxygen Ponies
Exit Wounds
Brooklyn, NY
”Some wounds won’t ever heal”
A gun-shot may technically sound like a bang, or look like a cloud of smoke surrounding a body crumpled up on the ground. In reality though, a gunshot to the neck sounds more like The Oxygen Ponies’ newest release, Exit Wounds. It’s not surprising that this feeling permeates the album, as it’s the real life story of singer/songwriter Paul Megna.
It is Megna’s pain that carries this album so beautifully. Even in the brighter moments, there is an overarching sadness, which is as unavoidable as a bullet to the neck can be. The more upbeat sounding moments of the album, like “Wild Animals,” may be few and far between, but these rays of hope in an otherwise bleak outlook make the entire recording a success. Without the darkness of “Good Thing,” the light of “Hope and Pray” wouldn’t be quite as beautiful.
Musically, this ranges from classic Jesus and Mary Chain to a soundtrack for a Grimm’s Fairy Tale. It’s impossible to listen to Megna say that he’s “putting his feelings on display” and not believe that he’s being completely truthful. (Hidden Target Recordings)
Produced by Paul Megna // Mixed and mastered by Dave McNair // Recorded at Ponyland in Brooklyn, NY