Ryan and Pony “Start Making Sense”

This summer, the classic partnership of songwriters Ryan Smith and Kathie Hixon-Smith take their indie rock roots and blend in superior craftmanship to build up a compelling video, “Start Making Sense.”

Addressing themes affecting all of us during the pandemic, this body of work by the duet calling themselves Ryan and Pony is quite riveting, foretelling the experience the world has gone through during the times of Covid 19.

URL: https://ryanandpony.com/

Ryan Smith uses his songwriting wisdom from his stint with Soul Asylum since back in 2016 in venturing out in this tune. As the needle lays down on the record in this spine tingling video, one can hear the buzzing of distortion guitar and hyper kinetic percussion, complete with charging psychedelic vocals.

The audio and video production is on point. The sound quality of the song is stellar, as the instruments and voices blend nicely. With excellent mastering, excellent production, Ryan and Pony knock this one out of the park, truly tailoring their wisdom as veteran songwriters toward creating a video that shines like a gem.

The atmospheric mood in the verse really awakens the mind and spirit of themes of pain, suffering and survival in pandemic times, wonderfully transcending into a chorus of uplifting victory, the lyrics asking us to “start making sense, and end being tense,” a chorus shining a light of hope as the duet sings “we can make amends.”

The video is brilliantly choreographed, filming the duet playing guitar and bass, complete with footage of the artists singing in their cool, calm manner and hip rock star style.

As the video finds itself mid-way, images of pandemic fears, destruction, chaos reveal themselves. Though at the very end, the band continues to sing their hopeful chorus hook, as those images quickly reverse themselves

back to normal before the world began to fizzle.

To me this states that things can and will get better, and we should continue to share faith and hope toward repairing our fallen world and build a brighter future, filled with possibilities and dreams coming to fruition.

I felt believe the mood and power of this song is dynamic and witty, crafty and passionate, complete with a message that is clear in both sound and picture.

The band of Ryan and Pony genuinely give it their all and do a great job

with this stirring work of music, a fine addition to the catalogue of greatest videos to come out of the pandemic era.

This song and video flows very well with poetic ease and emotional resonance, with its sound and pictures presenting the perfect dynamics, relevant to the times, channeling a successful effect on the soul.

It’s fabric of production, recording and mastering in the studio is expertly weaved together with a brilliant sheen and shimmering delight, bringing to the musical table both a song and video that is noteworthy in its message.

Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/album/start-making-sense/1527902311?i=1527902313

The lyrics are quite simple, yet quite effective and passionately spun, burning with a fiery contemplative chorus and a gripping bridge that helps the song’s effect reach higher realms, segueing into the final chorus and outro. Overall, good work in the category of composing, for Ryan and Pony really give it their all and put their heads together.

Giving it a rating of four of five stars, you may find yourself humming this tune as the day passes and hitting the repeat button on your home or car stereo to uplift your days and nights.

Mindy McCall