New Haven, New Noise: Showpony’s Elm City FM.
Rock has always found its power in friction — beauty clashing with grit, melody unraveling into noise — and showpony’s debut EP Elm City FM leans fully into that electricity. New Haven’s own rock outfit of Aaron Taos and Tyler Lindsay cut their teeth in a city known as much for its scars as its stories, a duality that bleeds across the six tracks. It isn’t just an introduction; it’s a debut rooted in the band’s sense of who they are and where they’re from.
‘Remains’ sets the stage like fog crawling in, a dark and mysterious haze that slowly envelops you before the band shatters it with heavier rock textures. The shift is less a surprise than the promise that quiet won’t last here. On ‘Darker Side,’ that haze turns suffocating, the walls closing in as serrated riffs and gnawing tension claw their way through the track. It’s the sound of shadows closing in, refusing to let go. Then comes ‘Shine,’ their brightest anthem, pushing back against the darkness with a burst of defiance and lyrics that practically beg to be screamed back in unison.
Elm City FM isn’t afraid to wade deeper into the murk. ‘Sludge’ slows the pace and thickens the air, its dragging bassline and submerged vocals pulling you under, giving way to ‘Morphine,’ a song steeped in the intoxicating thrill of surrendering to desire. And then, as if to remind you there’s no clean escape, the closer ‘Alabaster Road’ turns inward with ghostly imagery and religious overtones. Its chilling refrain — “she will find you, she’s right behind you” — lingers long after the track ends, turning Alabaster Road into more than just a place; it’s a reckoning where the past refuses to let go.
From start to finish, Elm City FM introduces a band unwilling to sand down their edges for anyone’s comfort. Born out of friendship, the duo play with the urgency of two people who trust the noise they make together — and let it speak for itself.