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album // This Is For Real | iTunes
: buy this album
With a lurid sleeve swathed in garish colour, the
debut album from Sheffield's Pink Grease arrives like a dayglo
kick to the head. The Grease comprise Rory Lewarne (lead
vocals), Steve Santa Cruz (guitar, backing vocals), Nicholas
Collier ('Machines. Inventions.'), John Joseph Lynch
(sax, guitar, synth and backing vocals), Stuart Faulkner
(bass, backing vocals) and Marc Hoad (drums). Their sound
is refreshing, despite having a foot in the music of the past, most
obviously punk, eighties vocal harmonies, synthpop and early Roxy
Music. It's left-of-centre, raucous pop rock that does not claim
any great artistic quality - this is just good, dance-able rock
'n' roll.
This Is For Real runs at a consistent pace,
pushed ever onward by Hoad's pounding drums. They use saxophones
in a manner reminiscent of some of the records put out by Stiff
in the late 1970s, while their use of whining synths recall the
most twisted elements of Add (N) To X (whose Barry 7
discovered them and to whom they profer their thanks on the sleeve,
along with Liars, Ladytron and Selfish C**t).
The most prevalent elements overall are Lewarne's occasionaly falsetto
and often nonsensical vocal and Lynch's fuzzy guitar riff-ery; both
are totally familiar and refreshingly new at the same time. They
remind me of the best, most hyperactive, of eighties pop-rock, infused
with the playful spirit of Sparks. Oh, and there's hand-claps
in abundance. It's like The Hives ripping off Pulp
- check out the synthpop bliss of 'Superfool' (which includes 'bottom
slapping' from someone called Denny).
The album opens with 'Remember Forever', featuring
spiky angular guitar riffs, a rolling bassline, and some classic
vocal harmonies. With an array of squealing synths, 'Remember forever;
provides the perfect energetic opener. 'Emotional Retard' is thrashy,
high-speed sax guitar punk with synth breakdowns, and a curiously
Jack White-esque vocal from Rory. With a dark introduction
of synths, guitars and guitars, 'Wind Up Bird' the cuts into a drum
pattern from Sonic Youth's Sister; 'Wind Up Bird'
also has a gorgeous melody, marking this out as a classic emotional
rock track with a sixties heart.
'Peaches' is an obvious stand-out track, reminiscent
of Weezer's 'Buddy Holly' - 'I know it's over but I still
pretend' sums up many a post-relationship state of reflection.
The track also has a synth melody similar to the theremin from 'Good
Vibrations'. 'The Nasty Show' is manic, hyperactive sax n' guitar
rock with a particularly inventive lyric in 'I want to f**king
die for you / I wanna die f**king you'; this sounds like
a nasty, hostile circus sideshow, and I can now worryingly see images
of Jim Rose in a leather studded collar.
Concluding with the aforementioned 'bottom slapping,
'Superfool' is a drum-driven rocker, with synths and backing vocals
that sound like Devo - in a very retro manner, Rory even
introduces 'drums' and 'synth-e-sizer', presumably
to assist the listener unfamiliar with the instruments? Toward its
close, the track switches gear to become a classic eighties synthpop
track at the end. 'Party Live' is a preposterous, expletive-filled
descending power rock anthem laden with grinding guitars and trilling
synth sounds.
Featuring Mute MD Daniel Miller with
a rare synth appearance, 'Serial Heartbreaker' is synth-rock and
easily the best track on This Is For Real, a digital versus
analogue pop track with sax overtones, sounding like all the best
eighties pop and synthpop all at once. In contrast, 'High Strung
Chironi' - presumably some play on words with the album's producer
Stephen Lironi - sounds like Ian Dury's Blockheads,
only at plus 8. Finally, 'Into My Heart' features some Jesus
And Mary Chain-esque guitars, an emotional Bryan Ferry
chorus straight from classic Roxy, and that could even be Eno
on synth. 'Don't really know you but you got straight into my
head' sings Lewarne - a quite good summary of Pink Grease, really.
I'm in love with this album - it's fun, original,
dirty and above all doesn't take itself at all seriously. I've listened
to it over and over and keep finding myself changing my favourite
tracks. These are guilty pleasures, man - use wisely, resist while
you still can, but I defy you to listen to this without turning
into an arse-smacking headband-wearing pogoing rock muppet.
LP/CD/LCD*:
1. Remember Forever
2. Fever
3. The Pink G.R.Ease
4. Emotional Retard
5. Wind Up Bird
6. Peaches
7. The Nasty Show
8. Superfool
9. Party Live
10. Serial Heartbreaker
11. High Strung Chironi
12. Into My Heart
* LCD contains same tracklisting in a limited edition
digipack
single // Fever
My expectations for this first single from this
Sheffield band's debut Mute album were particularly high after some
very positive reviews, especially of their energetic live shows.
I was not disappointed by the four tracks released across th CD
single and 7". 'Fever' itself is a frighteningly addictive
dose of sludgy glam-infused rock, which reminds me in places of
Steve Albini's work with Rosa Mota. Featuring a particularly hyperactive
vocal and some of the archest guitar licks this side of Rowland
S Howard, 'Fever' also blends in some ecstatically-howling synths
and some great drums. Probably a shade too subversive for the UK
chart perhaps.
CD track 'Shiver' realises the likely outcome of
Blondie jamming with Adam & The Ants, featuring guest vocals
from Ki. Second CD B-side, '2003', restores Pink Grease's lead vocalist
to the mic for an Add (N) To X-style fried electro groove that arrives
as something of a surprise after the prior rock posturing. The 7"
features the wild and beautifully shambolic 'Killer Killer'.
7":
A. Fever
B. Killer Killer
CD:
1. Fever
2. Shiver
3. 2003
single // The Pink G.R.Ease
'The Pink G.R.Ease' sees the Sheffield band recycling
the lyrics and riffs from the 'Fever' single B-side '2003' , but
kicks out the electronic structure in favour of a sax and low slung
guitar groove. A more sluggish beat reduces the frantic pace, until
the entirely new chorus kicks in, layering harmonious falsetto lines
over a typically preposterous mix of horns, keyboards and geetars
- imagine Russell Mael kicking Justin Hawkins' ass
at a Devo concert and you might just about get close to the
retro chic of this baby. 'Fire! Fire! / Burn!' indeed.
CD B-side 'I Need Blood' is Sheffield's other retro
rockers Pulp's 'Disco 2000' (oh, the happy memories) soundclashing
with the audacious punk posing of The Hives, or even the
glam of vintage Ziggy-era Bowie (check out those skronking
horns). The CD also features the jump-cut video for 'Fever', while
the 7" features another exclusive track, happily entitled 'I
Don't Wanna Be A Dumbshit', proving once and for all that the spirit
of The Butthole Surfers lives on.
7":
A. The Pink G.R.Ease
B. I Don't Wanna Be A Dumbshit
CD:
1. The Pink G.R.Ease
2. I Need Blood
3. The Pink G.R.Ease (Video)
single // Strip | iTunes
: buy this single
'Strip' appears to be a curt stop-gap between last
year's excellent This Is For Real and the next Pink Grease
LP. The single sees the six-piece working with This Is For
Real producer Steven Lironi once again. Lead track 'Strip' is
nowhere near as instant as This Is For Real's two singles,
but grows on you after repeated listens. It's a more straight-ahead
rock number with less synth work than I'd like, but works the same
pervy, sludgy glam angle fans are used to, gradually rising in ferocity
as the guitars buzz wildly and the cymbals take a pounding. Unless
I'm mistaken, it also includes the crudely obvious rhyming couplet
'I feel wet/And you forget'. Rory Lewarne's singing
here reminds me primarily of Duran Duran's Simon Le Bon - I haven't
decided if that's a good thing yet.
CD B-side 'Physical Reaction' relies on leaden drumming
and harmonious singing for its motorik locked groove. The wired
synth break is a cool addition, not quite detracting from the weak
lyrics. The collectible (and heavy) 7" picture disc includes
the new track 'Listen', an action I wasn't actually sure I wanted
to take after the two CD tracks. However, 'Listen', a Warp-style
electro number proves to be a bonus that nearly saves this release
from the dud pile.
Don't get me wrong, this band rock, but these new
songs just don't have the visceral impact of 'Fever''s refreshing
sound. Room for improvement, guys.
7":
A. Strip
B. Listen
CD:
1. Strip
2. Physical Reaction
single // Peaches
'Peaches' was among my favourite tracks on Pink
Grease's 2004 album This Is For Real. It's a melodic
and strangely maudlin tune, part 'Good Vibrations' and three parts
'Buddy Holly' by Weezer; emotionally fraught vocals, handclaps,
a sexy synth riff and staccato fuzzy guitar riffs that point to
controlled metal excess and - surprisingly comforting - Status Quo.
It's basically just a perfect rock n' roll pop song, and certainly
puts the non-album track 'Strip' - released as a single prior to
this - to shame.
As well as the album version, the CD single includes
a remix by Germany's electro confrontationalist Peaches, which includes
extra vocals by the former teacher over chugging guitar loops and
a percussive beat. Shades of Suzy Quattro aside, this is electro
crossover with rock aspirations. Riton's version is eighties dance
mix gold dust (cf. Mylo, Meloboy et al), tinkly synths blended
with a house beat and a massively prominent Duran / Spandau bassline.
Both mixes are slinky and essential.
There is also a garish heavy vinyl numbered picture
disc 7" with an exclusive B-side, 'New Breed'. It's vaguely
reminiscent of eighties goth-popsters The Cult, with its leaden
drums and metal guitar leanings. The Grease have a tendency to squirrel
some of their best material away as B-sides, and 'New Breed' is
true to form.
7":
A. Peaches
B. New Breed
CD:
1. Peaches
2. Peaches (Peach Grease Remix)
3. Peaches (Riton Re-Rub)
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