[4AD, 2010]

words// david haddad

This is the beginning of a new era. Whether you are a lover of lo-fi or the DIY aesthetic, its time to move on, because Ariel Pink has moved on. The sound is not radically different, but anyone who has spent at least a few hours listening to old-era Ariel will notice a distinct difference. He has a band, and he’s been given a little bit of money, and he used it on a studio and an engineer or two. The world is a better place because of it. This album is a trove; gem-after-gem of pop-enthused, nostalgically-good songwriting. The only question remaining is if this should be considered the first real Ariel Pink album, and all his previous releases compilations or demos.

This album is not entirely made up of new material. Several of the tracks are re-hashed from the previous and now-distant era of solo Ariel. A newer listener would never know it though. The Band: Tim Koh, Kenny Gilmore, and Aaron Sperske, have added their own flair to it and made it greater than the sum of its parts. Tracks such as “Beverly Kills” and “L’estat” are breathing with fresh blood, and they are both instant classics. In fact, nearly every song on the album sounds like a classic. Pop the CD into your car and you might forget its a CD and mistake it for a Top 40 radio station with a preference for the late 1970s / early 1980s. Only this album is much more varied than what you’d hear on a Top 40 station. These are songs with interesting progressions and fresh thoughts, despite the vintage surface.

“Hot Body Rub” opens the album on the most lo-fi note that will appear. Samples of machines and a gong, and then get into this hot tub. “Bright Lit Blue Skies” sounds as pretty and sunny as the open road to the beach. The aforementioned “L’estat” is possibly my favorite song on the album. I’ve looked hard to find something wrong with it, but I failed. Its a perfect song. “Fright Night” adds some familiar creepy-Ariel kitsch and an amazingly catchy synth line. “Round and Round” is the first single, and an immediate ready-for-the-public pop gem with a chorus that rises above the average like an 80s-teen-comedy-prom rises above the average prom. The seriously-good chorus is followed by the seriously-fun and fresh “Beverly Kills”, another personal favorite. Ariel’s faux-falsetto and the bass riffs dance with the synth parts and dare you not to smile. “Butt-House Blondies” opens with a shreddin-riff that will stay in your head for as long as you allow it. “Little Wig” is another re-worked miracle, given the magic treatment and matured into a highlight of musicianship. “Can’t Hear My Eyes” is nearly straightforward-Ariel-crooning, followed by “Reminiscenses”, which could feel at home on the raddest weather channel [hint: youtube]. “Menopause Man” is another brand new track, and it feels like a possible preview into the next Ariel joint. The instruments feel relaxed, the vibe is confident, and the lyrics are a lot of fun to figure out. The album closes with the quick-paced burner “Revolution’s a Lie”, which flitters along to the frantic drum-pace and reverb-swells. The Bonus Track, “Shades Away”, is fantastically 80s-hollywood-teen-flick-jam, and should not be missed.

The worst part about this album is that nothing can be skipped around. Try to skip to a specific track and you’ll end up listening to the entire album.