Shocking Pinks - Shocking Pinks Album Review

Shocking Pinks
Shocking Pinks
Album Review

Shocking Pinks is the work on one-man-band Nick Harte, ex-drummer of New Zealand band The Brunettes. It is a disco-punk album as Jesus and Mary Chain or My Bloody Valentine might interpret it, all lo-fi cymbal and synthesised wash of noise through which his plaintive voice or fuzzed up occasionally peeks.

What it keeps hold of is the emotion of the songs - so many tales of love lost and found, even briefly, delivered in a shaky, approachable voice. Shocking Pinks may fit into an Electronica category (probably helped by being issued by DFA, who also release LCD Soundsystem), but it is more like a very decent Pavement album - where it relaxes back into a song like Girl On The Northern Line, there isn't much but the voice and the acoustic guitars to deliver the soundscape. That a new DFA artist is so comfortable with the JMC/ New Order 80s glaze sound is wonderful - there are times when Harte reminds the listener of Beck's debut, with a Loser-like feel and eclecticism drifting in and out of the mix. In a way, it would be shame if Harte ever has a band join him - this sound doesn't need much help.

Rating 8/10

Mike Rea