On the band’s sophomore album, PONY deliver some great-sounding power pop on Velveteen. Named after the book The Velveteen Rabbit, that lead singer Sam Bielanski used the audiobook from to cope with a nine-month struggle with insomnia, Bielanski shared, “I became obsessed with it, but I always fell asleep before getting to the end. The way I interpreted the story was that it’s the love that we give and receive that makes us real or whole.” Through this unique connection to a childhood favorite, Bielanski and multi-instrumentlist/collaborator Matty Morand were able to pen approximately 200 songs that they narrowed down to ten crisp songs found on this record. If you’re into bands like Beach Bunny, Soccer Mommy, and Diet Cig, you’ll definitely find plenty to enjoy on PONY’s Velveteen.