Maybe you remember Kids In Glass Houses. Maybe you remember their first demos of ‘Flirting With Widows’ being uploaded to Myspace. Their first album. Their fourth. Maybe you attended their farewell tour. Maybe you’re glad they’re back after 11 years. Maybe you’re excited. Maybe you’re going to be surprised.
If you think the name ‘Pink Flamingo’ seems a bit odd, wait until you hear what they’ve made; you might find yourself nodding in agreement. It’s bold, it’s bright, it’s neon-bathed, and practically screams Barbados and beaches with a side-order of Miami Vice. Yes, leading single ‘Theme From Pink Flamingo’ tells you everything you need to know, they’re embracing a different sound; 1980’s synth-rock. And, while it’s difficult to call the sound ‘fresh’ when they’re deliberately aping sounds from 40 years ago, it’s a departure for the band, one that suits them surprisingly well. Yes, it’s lush and indulgent but it retains much of the band’s personality, meaning it’s no albatross.
While the band’s third record ‘In Gold Blood’ was billed as a concept record (it was all the rage at the time, blame Green Day) ‘Pink Flamingo’ actually feels like one; What if Kids In Glass Houses made the soundtrack to a 80’s blockbuster movie? It feels big and bold, using sounds tied to that era, no it’s not all power ballads but it certainly captures that aesthetic. That aesthetic might remind you of Barry Manilow (‘Copacabana’ – is technically a 70’s song but I digress) but that isn’t a bad thing when it’s making such a strong, focused statement. To be fair, this shift is not entirely unexpected. Listen back to their preceding album 2013’s ‘Peace’ and you can hear them softening, experimenting with processed sounds, searching for something and while that record had ten-solid songs it was a lacking in a little magic, here they found it; the production sparkles.
Having been away for eleven years, Kids In Glass Houses now exist as a band out of time. Not just out of step with their contemporaries but trying to capture – or perhaps update – sounds from their youth. Although still a rock band, and the main instruments are still guitars, the sounds are bathed in effects like flangers and chorus to give them that soft, synthy, undeniably 1980’s sound. Yet, they still bite, they’re rich and tangible, and there’s an energy to the licks, despite the guitarists using a lot of percussive muting. The bass sound also reinforces this and Andrew Shay’s contribution really stands out. As the songs aren’t built around big riffs there’s space for him to play about, adding to the whole warm, exotic vibe.
Despite it’s strong, unified sound, you can hear the hard work that’s gone into making sure each song is individual. Each has a different style and underlying idea meaning you can easily describe this as the band’s most interesting album. While their overall sound has always been influenced by Glassjaw (and by inference Head Automatica) the opening keyboard swirls of ‘Have A Good Time’ or ‘Vulnerable’ are more likely to remind you of artists like Phil Collins or Billy Ocean or even Don Henley on ‘Strawberry Sky’. It’s a compliment that their songs fit neatly with these kinds of easy, accessible hits while maintaining their integrity. Yes, there are even saxophones on songs like ‘Change Your Minds’ and while it’s not like they haven’t flirted with a horn section before, the use here isn’t just window-dressing, it’s integral to how the song works.
Singer Aled Philips has always had a distinctive manner and strong singing voice, making him an engaging frontman. Eleven years older and wiser, he’s traded much of his wicked energy for a more nuanced delivery as if he’s trying to prove how good a singer he really is. Of course, it helps that he’s found a way to sound energised without relying on being boisterous. While the album is full of powerful choruses (try ‘Rothko Painting’ ) he’s most impressive on the piano ballad ‘A Ghost To Live With’ which gives him chance to flirt with a higher register or ‘Cold Night’ where he’s a lighthouse in an ocean of gated drums and sighing keyboards. Also noteworthy is ‘Flowers In The Rain’ which threatens to be smothered by the over-the-top strings yet manages to combine his sultry vocal with the bassline to give it a sexy, nocturnal energy.
Maybe it’s because the overall sound is heavily indebted to a specific era, or maybe it’s there are only so many power ballads you can take in one sitting but by the time it reaches penultimate track it starts to feel like they’re covering old ground; The snare snaps, the Casio-style keyboards, the sense of space, the powerful chorus. Ironically the song is called ‘(Feels Like) Déjà Vu’ and yet they manage to close the record with the electronic footsteps of ‘Human Touch’ a song that’s uniquely their own, maybe the sound of them growing old gracefully.
Maybe you’re new to Kids In Glass Houses. Maybe you’re not. Returning from another era – and not the era you expect – they’ve brought a strong set of songs and very clear idea of what they want it to be. ‘Pink Flamingo’ could be the soundtrack to your favourite 1980’s movie. It’s a blockbuster.
IAN KENWORTHY