Ariel Pink, right, looks soooo different ... of course my reference point is South By Southwest 2004 ...
Boy, talk about a relief, I thought I was going to have to pass on new Ariel Pink & The Haunted Graffiti stuff … Just a hunch really; I love Ariel and the gang but sometimes the pressure of being on a new label, with the stakes ticked up just a bit, causes thing to go sour.
We can all rest easy; it isn’t going to happen. Pink and his proteges are easily tighter than they’ve ever been, and the new songs work much better in a live context than, say, “For Kate I Wait” (a great song in its own right). No two-string guitars here folks.
Again — I’m more relieved than anything. I’m not thrilled with “Spires in the Snow” (interesting note: one of my old band-name ideas was “Spiders In The Snow), its punk edge is rubbery, but overall the growth is shown with this new crop of songs is impressive.
Pink on … Wish I could see the tour with R. Stevie Moore.
definitely have mixed feelings about ‘before today’
he loses some of those abstractions that make him so interesting but the songwriting might be better (?) for sure more traditionally structured and “band” friendly
boy, i was worried the effect of that would be so much more pronounced. all i’ve heard is the single and the 4AD sessions but at least he’s still got a ton of interesting stuff going on in the music; he can still surprise you.
i’m still neverous about “before today” as a whole though, i’ll admit it.
how’s graduation goin? hope you’re well bud!