Nautical Antiques

AMG Review of Nautical Antiques

MacKenzie Wilson
All Music Guide

Instead of releasing a proper follow-up to 2004's indie rock hit Summer in Abaddon, San Diego's Pinback peruse their earlier catalog for a solid collection of B-sides, outtakes, and rarities entitled Nautical Antiques. For fans who have already shelled out the extra cash for some of their European-only tracks or for those who have heard these songs in concert, Nautical Antiques is a perfect reflection of Pinback's growing presence in the ever-changing indie rock circle. The listener won't even notice its scattered track listing either, for Pinback has never existed in one particular space and time. From the Ace Fu Internet download and the full-band version of "Messenger" to other unreleased tracks such as the melancholic "Water Run," "Avignon," and the "Concrete Seconds" demo, Nautical Antiques holds steady just as much as any proper album would. The limited-edition This Is a Pinback CD, which appeared on Cuttyshark in the States in 2000, didn't include the lilting piano measures of "Versailles" or the raw acoustic guitars of "Byzantine." Lucky for fans, Nautical Antiques has 'em, on top of the now out-of-print Penelope EP. Not only is Nautical Antiques a solid filler between albums and a great slide show of years past, but it comes off like a brand-new Pinback record.