Pink Houses' self-titled, snarling full-length bears a pleasantly noisy, grumbling tilt that fans of the sound should dig.

Fuzzy, cracking amps and a murky plow on opener "A Shame" should instantly bring Nirvana to mind for plenty. But higher-pitched, off-kilter yelling and more deliberate, nimbler guitar work in "New Religion", as well as sardonic "oo"s backing, help the band establish more of their own identity and an almost pop-punk undercurrent. It's kinda catchy, too. See, the vocals sometimes have that nasally, John Darnielle-like quality, but then comes the more strained, snarling yells and shaggy guitars cutting in, like in "Wildflowers".

The short, aggressive "Fed Up" and Melvins-ish, sludgier, plodding intro to "Again at the End" shows some versatility, and when Side B kicks off with the less grungy but certainly energetic "New Blood", it's very cool and an interesting change for the band. Charred, ripshit playing continues through the rest of the tracks regardless of the grunge level, though, like the charged hooks in "To Be and Need" (a short questioning of how a person can be deemed "illegal").

This is a cool, very solid full-length from Pink Houses. Taken as a whole, it's a cohesive listen that doesn't always jump out, but it's certainly got an edge and creative, rambunctious flair to it.

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much of Pink Houses