Review 20: Old Hat, New Manehatten - Yourenigma

So, we decided to reopen the site, in case you didn't notice. And I thought what I'd do early on was attempt to alienate half of our viewership. That's a good idea, right?!

To do this, I grabbed the irksomely underrated Old Hat, New Manehatten song from Yourenigma. I figure experimental Pony Nujazz should be looked on by a few of you as pretty weird, huh? But, it's what I felt like listening to when I wrote this review, so it's what you get! Also there needs to be a lot more jazz in this community! And blues! And musical numbers! (I know there's already a lot) Expand the genres we've been constricted to, fellows! I can feel cool while listening to trance, but you can only feel truly cool when listening to good jazz. So get on it!

Find the full review for this snazzy little number after the break.

Open with the keys of a descending, rolling, bohemian piano and you've started listening to Old Hat, New Manehatten. The keys of the piano tilt this way and that over the soundwaves in a delightfully unpredictable manner, before relaxing into the choral bars of the My Little Pony Theme with a some beautifully styled originality. Applejack obviously reminiscing of the days of her youth in Old Manehatten. Tricky to describe the back and forth aspect of the tune, and it can only be said to be properly attention grasping in a delightfully jazzy way. Ups and downs flowing with the notes and tumbling forward and inevitably fading away into...

"Manehatten!" The pianist is joined by a sudden onrush of drums and cymbals pushing forward through the speakers as Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash start to jam (and the picture on the clip changes to something more befitting). The snazzy, tight beat keeps the audience engaged and alert, dragging us into the Modern Day, a place of fast paced tones and unpredictability. I am fully aware that this style and sudden shifting in pace can unnerve listeners, but in the right mood and feel, it has a profound effect of coolness. The oncoming trains heighten the true Manehatten feel (actually sample recordings of the Manehatten underground by Yourenigma himself) and the constant piano feels simply marvelous.

In comes the sax with Rarity-like precision, complimenting the piano and drum perfectly, while remaining a distinct component of the overall track. More brass joins the fray and the song builds ever more into a rush of sound and experience. By the 3:10 mark, the listener is to the point of being overwhelmed by the sound and the song will either fall apart for you, or elevate you to new heights! The track plays on for a short while before eventually petering out in a dignified way. Doffing its hat, and leaving the audience to converse under the soothing dim lights.

Ultimately, this song fills me with joy for several reasons. It's unique to this community (I want more pony jazz!), it's a pretty unique genre of music as a whole, and it's played with fantastic precision! I find the opening piano solo particularly inviting, and the rush of bohemian swinging has grown on me every time I've listened to the song. The moment they shift from past to present, I perk up and start tapping my hooves. An all round snazztastic song, from a very snazztastic composer. (That word will totally take off, just you wait...)