Pinkshinyultrablast
- Miserable Miracles (Club AC30/Shelflife)
Reviewed by Elizabeth Klisiewicz
Reviewed by Elizabeth Klisiewicz
These quirky, critically acclaimed dream-gazers
from St. Petersburg have made a real splash on the scene over the past several
years due to a series of excellent releases and a fresh take on the old
shoegaze sound. Rather than retreading the tired MBV/Slowdive ground followed
by so many other acts, these folks have employed a delectable melange of
sparkling synth pop and ambient cool meshed with sprightly melodies.
Singer Lyubov’s lilting high soprano soars above
the shimmering sonic textures, enchanting the listener from start to finish.
Witness the album opener “Dance AM” with its throwback sound and a clean, chill
vibe. It’s the ultimate of cool and underscores the shift in the band’s sound.
It skitters effortlessly into the lush electronica
of “Triangles” and moves through to one of the singles, the lovely “Find Your
Saint”. I might be inclined to conjure up a bunch of purple prose to describe
the majesty of these songs, throwing in butterflies and buttercups in a high
meadow, but I will leave that to other scribes.
“Eray” is pure retro, flashing me back to the late
80s music that crowded my collection, from Depeche Mode over to OMD. It’s such
a perfect melange of past and present, with updated textures and refined
recording techniques. And all of it’s wrapped in ear candy that will sweeten
your day for sure. “Blue Hour” is an unexpected ambient treat, with minimalist
tones and a cosmic vibe that will send you straight into orbit. “Earth and Elsewhere”
is the perfect soundtrack for late night listening, and I love how rippling
synths enhance this chilled out instrumental.
“Taleidoscope” has glimmers of A Sunny Day in
Glasgow and School of Seven Bells but maintains the unique, somewhat exotic stamp
of a band breaking new ground. “In the Hanging Gardens” is the first song I
heard from this album, and it’s a winner and good choice for a single. Finally,
“Looming” is pure, fuzz-drenched shoegaze meshed with dreamy interludes. A
terrific end to a beautifully rendered work of musical art.
