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Pinback

Autumn of the Seraphs
2007
Touch and Go

Pinback - Autumn of the Seraphs (Cover Artwork)

Review by: JonDaley
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Published on November 23rd 2007

Well, it’s that time of year again my pretties; it's time to grow out your facial pubes and pick that scarf up out the milk crates; it's fall! (Alternatively, if you live in Toronto, I think it has been that time of year for the last decade or so.) Lucky for us, it would appear that the fellows of Smith, Crow and Co. are just about as ripe for the season as you and me. You see, their latest full-length intentionally gives the impression of decay; evoking both with its name and beautiful album art, images of the Judaeo-Christian fall from grace, as well as the commonly acknowledged climatic shift that occurs on what we the Romans call the 21st of September. For such drab and dreary sentiments, you might expect something harsh or abrasive, but the end result is something rather warm and inviting.

The seasonal theme lends itself well to Pinback’s musical output in general, but particularly, this release. After all, there's the hurriedly paced opener “From Nothing to Nowhere,” with its minimal lyrical sections that are repeated to maintain a cerebral cyclical quality much like -- you guessed it -- a season (that was my best Dr. Cox impression). The vocal interplay between Smith and Crow on songs like the bass-driven, saucy funk of “Barnes” only serves to reinforce these already well-established qualities. You may be asking yourself if the only thing giving this record's warmth is my contemplation of the interplay between two men? Fear not; if the light electronic pop of the keyboards on “Good to Sea” don’t serve to melt away depression that tends to beset the populace in the fall, I don’t know what will. Even when the words "Oh no I hit rock bottom" are uttered near the end of the track, they leave the listener with contradictory feelings of elation. I mean, this is the type of song I would have sex to if anyone could stand to be in my company for more than five minutes.

So what we’ve got here is Pinback honing and tightening up the qualities that made them a great indie pop group to begin with, the qualities that were somewhat lacking on the last record. I think if you sit back and listen to this with a good pair of headphones on, Autumn of the Seraphs should carry you well beyond the season that dare not speak its name, and you’ll be switching up your Hall & Oates for Smith and Crow in no time. That is, unless of course you don’t like funky, subtle, and sophisticated pop music, then you won’t be listening to Hall & Oates at all.

FYI: I tend to listen to this album as a companion piece to Minus the Bear’s Planet of Ice; take that as you will.

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Posted by mpc on 2007-11-26 17:56:36

Great album. "Good to Sea" is ridiculously catchy. I'm kinda upset I missed them in Ann Arbor recently.

Posted by john_stone on 2007-11-26 14:09:08

This band was good as the Sergeant in Dark Star.

Posted by DeadMilkMan on 2007-11-26 02:29:53

Anyone heard Anthony Greene do 'Penelope' acoustic?

Posted by vaginalinferno on 2007-11-24 19:03:50
My Score:

this is an excellent album and i also listen to it with planet of ice!
this album is a perfect continuation from summer in abaddon, and the change of the seasons can be heard quite vividly. where i live it is nearing the end of fall and we're startin to see some snow, so i'm currently using the fallish autumn of the seraphs and also rob crow's solo album (bam bam is the shit) and then minus the bear, great anytime music but especially winter i think

Posted by paris_in_flames on 2007-11-23 19:30:14
My Score:

this is good stuff. check it out.

Posted by thus_spoke_sean on 2007-11-23 15:39:52

huh, how have i never really listened to them? I think i know one song, by them....

this review was awesome though, i'm definitely going to pick this up now.

Posted by mackerel_minge on 2007-11-23 12:36:47

i just heard "penelope" for the first time on a comedown a few weeks ago, great song. im gonna buy this.

Posted by Branden on 2007-11-23 09:18:11

mario only plays on the first song actually. anyways, this thing is pretty good. its hard to listen to repeatedly, but "walters" is a forkin great song duder.

Posted by DickAround on 2007-11-23 08:30:45
My Score:

Mario Rubalcaba of Earthless /Hot Snakes /Clikatat Ikatowi/ RFTC plays drums on this album. I love their first album but this album is a fucking treat and a half. Again, one of the best this year.

Posted by LeightonESmith on 2007-11-23 04:08:30

Pinback is such an essential band for me just to chill out and listen to just before falling asleep.
Love em. I'll definately be checking this out.

Posted by damnitsderek on 2007-11-23 03:31:45

I had no idea Pinback was releasing an album this year; needless to say, I'm picking it up soon.

Posted by victim on 2007-11-23 01:18:07

This doesn't sound like my type of thing, but I have to say that alot of very well done reviews have been going up lately, and this is one of them

Also, I'm posting because I couldn't resist the wisecrack:

I mean, this is the type of song I would have sex to if anyone could stand to be in my company for more than five minutes.

Those two things aren't really mutually exclusive..

Posted by bryne on 2007-11-23 01:09:26
My Score:

So awesome.

'Good to Sea' will be on my year-end mixtape.

Posted by JonDaley on 2007-11-23 00:24:50

I think this record is better than Summer in Abaddon but not quite as good as the first record.

Posted by usversusthem on 2007-11-23 00:19:41

I'm a huge fan of Summer in Abaddon. Thinking of checking this out. How does it compare?

Posted by DickAround on 2007-11-23 00:01:43
My Score:

Due to the band's complexity I was comparing this to Planet of Ice as well. I'm glad I'm not the only one. I love Pinback/Rob Crow. This is my favorite release so far this year.

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