There are literally dozens of bands that get labelled as shoegaze now, even punk bands that just add a bit of reverb to their sound. With Pinkshinyultrablast, that word does come into play, but they think far more outside of the box. Their debut album ‘Everything Else Matters’ was a trip into a dreamy world, but they have really spread their wings on their latest offering ‘Grandfeathered’. Nothing can prepare you for the journey it takes you on from the start, and the deeper you become invested, the tighter its grip on you becomes.
This Russian quartet has done what most bands attempt – or at least threaten – to do with ‘Grandfeathered’. They haven’t just studied a copy of ‘Loveless’ and bought Fender Jaguars; they have taken a shoegaze blueprint, drawn outside all of the lines, and produced the aural equivalent to an out of body experience. The warm fuzz the carries ‘Glow Vastly’ and ‘I Catch You Napping’ dissipates into soaring, glorious soundscapes. The multi-layered composition of each track is thick, yet each passage has its own breathing space.
As with most bands of this ilk, Lyubov’s vocals are buried into the mix, and often lyrically inaudible. This makes you just work harder with ‘Grandfeathered’, as they just act as another component draw you in. They apply a krautrock style repetition into their arsenal, drawing from an influence of scene pioneers NEU!. It is hypnotic, with ‘Comet Marbles’ being a swirling haze of echo-driven beauty, and ‘The Cherry Pit’ harkens back to mesmerising tones of Astrobrite (where Pinkshinyultrablast take their name from). But they have far from plagiarised anyone else’s work, simply building upwards from the foundation set by their heroes.
Pinkshinyultrablast have kept things relatively brief on ‘Grandfeathered’, being only eight tracks long, and no song outstaying its welcome. It makes it all the more enjoyable. They way each track builds to near breaking point before dropping into colourful cascades of noise, and ambient crescendos. It softly shimmers right through to the albums title track, hitting an ethereal high at its cadence.
In a world of forgettable My Bloody Valentine clones, and Slowdive copying try-hards, Pinkshinyultrablast stand out over almost everyone. ‘Grandfeathered’ is a peerless alternative record, which will grab your attention whether you want it to or not.
GLEN BUSHELL