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Pinback Autumn of the Seraphs Rating: 3/5 Tracks to download: “Good to Sea,” “Scrubbing for Eden,” “Torch” For fans of: The Shins (I have a current one!), not sure who else |
Pinback’s new album, “Autumn of the Seraphs,” is exciting and eclectic. Many of their tracks experiment and slightly expand upon the conventional rock form. Unfortunately, a lot of their songs, while musically exciting, lack a memorable melody. This makes the album feel staid and uninteresting at times. But their strong musicianship and willingness to experiment saves the album from being a complete bust.
The leaders of Pinback, Armistead Burwell Smith IV (guitar) and Rob Crow (lead singer/guitar), were both members of various West Coast indie groups. This experience is evident throughout the album, where most of the songs are composed in a “dreamy-rock” style that is eerily reminiscent of The Shins. In “Good to Sea,” Pinback constructs a lively and memorable song that showcases their guitar skills and the strong rock voice of Mr. Crow.
“Autumn on the Seraphs” is also highlighted by strong and quirky lyrics. In “Subbing for Eden,” Crow convincingly sings, “I consume the rage of fire / and I can feel the depths of the ocean / and I’ve become consumed by desire / and I can feel the depths of the ocean.” In “Torch” he offers, “This planet’s old / This planet’s cold / This planet’s dead / It’s crashing into us,” in such a convincing manner that for a split second you almost believe him.
Unfortunatly, Pinback’s musical virtuosity and quirky lyrics are not able to elevate this album above mediocrity. The majority of the songs on “Autumn of the Seraphs” lack a strong melody, causing them to feel bland and indistinguishable. There are far too many songs, like “Devil You Know,” “Bouquet” and “From Nothing to Nowhere,” that are not much more than second-rate filler. This causes the entire album to lack a sense of unity.
Even though Pinback has many of the ingredients needed to make a strong album, they are unable to blend them together into a musically satisfying meal. Their bold lyrics are unable to elevate a truly ordinary batch of songs into something special. This causes Pinback’s new album, which at first listen seems to have a lot of potential, feel like somewhat of a disappointment.