Although Summer in Abaddon is in keeping with the lush, bittersweet tenor of Pinback's previous work, the band's Touch & Go debut is much quieter and more reserved than the busy electronic indie pop of 2003's Offcell EP. Instead, the band opts for a more organic, introspective sound that tends to put interesting productions and arrangements ahead of driving tempos or instantly catchy songwriting. Fortunately, this emphasis on delicate, cerebral pop pays off, albeit eventually: although tracks like the darkly lovely "Sender" and "3X0" initially seem too atmospheric, they gradually reveal tightly structured melodic interplay that makes them more intriguing than they might be if they were more immediately engaging. Indeed, Summer in Abaddon might work best as background music that occasionally creeps up and surprises you with its musical and lyrical details. The album's pristine production and emphasis on acoustic and electric pianos adds to its subtle, sophisticated feel, particularly on the vaguely jazzy "Bloods on Fire" and the softly poppy "This Red Book." Even the more immediate tracks, such as "Non Photo Blue," "The Yellow Ones," and "Syracuse," have a more polished, mysterious vibe than any of Pinback's previous work. The band does rock out, relatively, on the gently driven "Fortress" and "AFK," which recalls Pinback's emo roots, but the album's most delicate moments are also its strongest. Summer in Abaddon is an album of small, but hardly insignificant pleasures, and it may be Pinback's finest work yet.
It's been a while since I've heard nice hooks like this. They remind me a bit of XTC. (I wonder if there's an Andy Partridge influence here...) If you appreciate good songcraft, this is a definitely a band to follow. If the ideas here are good now, then it's worth keeping an ear pressed to their future work.
More >
I'm not entirely sure how this works yet...at all...but I have to say that since it is 4:07 and I am no closer to sleep than I was 4 hours ago I might as well take this time and try something new. Anything to do with music = great by me. So, hey there world. If you love music I like you already.Cheers.Well let's see here. I am definitely in one of my Pinback moods. If you catch me up, high...
More >
When I first signed on to MOG, all of 11 weeks ago, I spent a little while getting used to being a mute. As I soon found out it would take awhile for other MOGgers to come around to my brand of BullShit that at times seems to roll endlessly off of my finger tips. I know there were a couple of posts I made in my beginnings in which I just babbled on in a sort of stream of consciousness style ran...
More >
Recent events have led me to believe that one of the failings of any blog site, including MOG, is that there's no clear way to know why someone hasn't responded to a message. So, since I clearly have time on my hands, I came up with one for me. It's kinda similar to the Active/Away/DoNotDisturb I use on IM.It goes as follows:!http://mog.com/pictures/3776/pictures/thumbs/10432.gif?1155093578!I...
More >
My own personal music revolution began last summer. I was finally emerging fully from the state of suspended animation I was trapped in while a perpetual student. My interests finally started to shift. I was no longer simply passively shedding the old ones with the passage of time, I was actively acquiring new ones. This happened, not surprisingly, with the help of someone I was seeing. I remem...
More >
I know it's early, but this song caught my ear already. You'll understand why when you hear it. The drums drive the guitar melody right into your psyche. The rounding vocals are unrelenting in the chorus, begging:Don't do this man.There's another one off behindBreaking down the door withoutWarning.The vocals compliment the guitar riff and follow blindly at the risk of being too....infectious.
More >
I'm not entirely sure how this works yet...at all...but I have to say that since it is 4:07 and I am no closer to sleep than I was 4 hours ago I might as well take this time and try something new. Anything to do with music = great by me. So, hey there world. If you love music I like you already.Cheers.Well let's see here. I am definitely in one of my Pinback moods. If you catch me up, high...
More >
It's been a while since I've heard nice hooks like this. They remind me a bit of XTC. (I wonder if there's an Andy Partridge influence here...) If you appreciate good songcraft, this is a definitely a band to follow. If the ideas here are good now, then it's worth keeping an ear pressed to their future work.
More >
San Diego dwelling duo Pinback have decided to swap labels for their next record which is apparently due next year. The band were signed to Touch And Go Records since their third album Summer In Abbadon back in 2004 and released their fourth record Autumn Of The Seraphs on the same label back in 2007.
More >
| Title | Lyrics | Buy |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Non Photo-Blue |
|
|
| 2 Sender |
|
|
| 3 Syracuse |
|
|
| 4 Bloods on Fire |
|
|
| 5 Fortress |
|
|
| 6 This Red Book |
|
|
| 7 Soaked |
|
|
| 8 3X0 |
|
|
| 9 The Yellow Ones |
|
|
| 10 Afk |
|
|
Click to purchase…
© 2006-2009 Mog Inc. All Rights Reserved
 "Summer in Abaddon")
