Pity Sex

White Hot Moon (2016)

RENALDO69

Feast of Love was a pretty divisive album. If you're into melodic shoe-gaze and catchy lo-fi anthems, then it would have been up your alley. Drenched in reverb, there was something about the shimmery and twinkling nature of the band that made them more than wispy dream-pop. They did it with a hardened rock edge. White Hot Moon follows in the same vein, much more exploratory in terms of lyrical content but in a pretty similar direction. Nothing too unique but still plastered with the depth for you to watch the sun wind down.

The lo-fi opener, "A Satisfactory World For Reasonable People", has shades of Interpol and Ceremony to it with a bass-driven spine setting up a livelier dive in the twinkly rhythms of "Burden You". The latter's packed with distortion and throws back to the hazy, fuzzy album that preceded. Brennan Greaves' vocals jam home the shoegaze aspect of things a lot which complement the melodically relaxing style of Britty Drake. She comes off a lot like Brianna Collins (Tigers Jaw) at times but it's so pleasant to hear her balladry on "Plum" and "Dandelion". It's a good separation from the distinctly distant vocals employed by Greaves, which does wear thin at times and leave a couple tracks slightly repetitive.

"Bonhomie" on the other hand ups the punk and another track which roughs their sound and dirties it up is the title track, as Pity Sex lend some sludgy sections and a few grungy segments to the flow. It's quite visceral as it tries to avoid the monotony that sets in midway. There are a lot of contrasting elements in the emotionally growling dynamic of Greaves to Drake -- and beautifully so -- but again, Pity Sex tread the line quite carefully of hitting that shoegaze pipe that Title Flight, Superheaven etc fiddle with. Overall, there are some flaws but Pity Sex make them work. Soothingly.