Pinback
"Autumn of the Seraphs" CD
Touch & Go
Genre: indie rock
June 2008 |
Another day, another Rob Crow related
record. It's a good thing they're always so awesome. This time around it's
Pinback, his most accessible project - likely
because it also features the talents of Three Mile Pilot's Zach Smith. Autumn of the
Seraphs is more of the same from these lovably complex popsters,
who have retained their basic formula but tightened things up a bit
for an even crisper sound. It's always impressive how Crow and
Smith manage to craft melodies en masse and bury them in
multi-layered, angular rock songs that sound both packed to the brim
and yet effortlessly clean. The majority
of the songs on Autumn of the Seraphs are strong efforts,
though a few turn out stale. "Barnes" is particularly bland, as are
tired "How We Breathe" and underwhelming "Blue Harvest" - especially
if you're already familiar with Pinback's unconventional song
structure. Fortunately, the rest of the album kicks some solid ass, as
stated best by (worthy) single "From Nothing To Nowhere" and instantly
memorable "Subbing For Eden." Meanwhile, "Good To Sea" puts a strong
synth line to good use, "Walters" uses a tired strum-pop bit to build
up to a wonderful key change (before exploding gloriously open), and
"Torch" has a lovely opening and an appealing lush urgency.
My advice is to pick this record up along with
Rob Crow solo effort, Living Well. Though not quite
spotless, Autumn of the Seraphs is the latest in a canon of
music that next decade's indie rock scene will consider seminal.
pinback's
myspace
86%
youuuuuuuutube!:
"fortress" video (off summer in abaddon),
"afk" video (off summer in abaddon)
Fun Fact:
Matt Shimmer
[Vitals: 11 tracks, distributed by
the
label,
released September 11, 2007] |
