THE SNOW PONIES – THE LONG WAY HOME – RELEASED NOV 2025
“The Long Way Home moves with a slow, breathy patience, like headlights cutting through mist on a rural road… there’s a touch of Neil Young in the guitar warmth, a hint of Pulp in the storytelling, and the subtle new-wave glow of Ultravox woven through the production… it creates a landscape that feels nostalgic without leaning too heavily on the past, giving the track its own gentle gravity”
INTROVERT DISCO – Song of the day
“If this represents the level of craft Dean brings to his first NZ-based musical endeavour, the promised album on the 2026 horizon should prove essential listening. The Long Way Home succeeds by trusting in the power of intelligent songcraft, meticulous production, and emotional authenticity – unfashionable virtues perhaps, but enduring ones nonetheless.”
INDIE DOCK MUSIC BLOG
“The Long Way Home” is a wistful, beautifully eccentric slice of indie pop storytelling”
BOBPS.BLOG
“The Snow Ponies “The Long Way Home” is a frost-kissed waltz through the backroads of love, a four-minute slow-burn that feels like driving a rusted pickup under a skyfull of falling stars”
OURSOUND
“Phil Dean’s voice feels lived-in and immediate… Influences peak through without ever dominating: hints of pastoral Neil Young melancholy, the cheeky immediacy of contemporary indie pop, and the widescreen jolt of classic new wave results in something that feels both referential and wholly new”
HELLAFUZZ
“What makes The Long Way Home especially compelling is the way it balances melancholy and optimism. The song unfolds like a quiet revelation, acknowledging detours and doubts while still steering towards the light. It is grounded, human and strikingly honest”
LOOP SOLITAIRE