Pin Me Down : 'Pin Me Down'
Released: Out Now!
Label: Animalized Records
Before jumping in with the ‘bring back Silent Alarm’ cohort I’d like to attempt some objectivity. Let’s pretend that Bloc Party don’t exist until you finish reading this and consider the album as a separate entity. Pin Me Down is the project of guitarist Russell Lissack and Milena Mepris. We’re all aware of past histories.
But nobody likes a middle of the fence review.
The album opens like a shortage of inspiration, followed by a conflict of interests, ending in a rush to finish. It is irritatingly unremarkable; I want to scratch myself. Track number 8 was the only one to stand out, yet a return journey to the studio would not go unwarranted. And Melina Mepris simply can’t wait for her choruses – she just can’t. I think she’s cute, and fully accept she wouldn’t look twice at a percussion crazy 95% albino who’s never a metre away from a bottle of factor 50 for fear of melting. But not even Cyndi Lauper or Kate Bush neglected the fundamental importance of allowing the verse to breath a little. This aside Lissack has not given a great deal of thought to riffs or respective guitar generated nuances. If he did he must think once more. He is generally known for playing to measure whatever the circumstance. In this case he throws the goods in whether it fits or not.
It’s not a difficult call to make by any stretch of the imagination. They should have spent more time working towards a final outcome. If they decide to produce a second album, it would benefit from not containing songs that come across like an attempt to recover from the disappointment of the last one.
2 and 3 generous quarters out of 10
Words: Phillip J Cogger
Write a comment
- Required fields are marked with *.
-->