:: Pinback - Autumn Of The Seraphs

Pinback

Although having released a few bits and pieces in the three years since the release of their third album ‘Summer In Abaddon’ in 2004, including 2006’s outtake/b-side/rarities collection ‘Nautical Antiques’ and their ‘Too Many Shadows’ EP. from the same year, as well as a couple of releases from vocalist/multi-instrumentalist Rob Crow within that time, it’s been a pretty quiet few years for San Diego outfit Pinback. But after a lengthy absence, the duo has returned once again with their long overdue fourth full-length effort ‘Autumn Of The Seraphs’. Time, it would seem, has altered little in regards to direction and sound for Pinback on their latest release, with ‘Autumn Of The Seraphs’ for the most part picking up exactly where ‘Summer In Abaddon’ left off some three years ago. The opening track/single ‘From Nothing To Nowhere’ is certainly one of the more immediate and energetic numbers on the album, with the group’s indie-rock sound dominating the underlying pop overtones that filter through the group’s output, giving the impression that Pinback have opted for a heavier and more direct sounding album. But with the angular riffing in the follow up track ‘Barnes’, and the straight-forward pop approach of ‘Good To Sea’, it’s clear that Pinback are at least attempting to shake things up a little, even if only in the smallest instantly recognisable doses.

The gentle ‘How We Breathe’ softly eases the album down with its slow pacing and piano accompaniment, while the darker sounding ‘Walters’ follows along the same lines, before building up toward a climatic finale.
Unfortunately, it’s the middle-third of the album where Pinback lose the attention they attracted around the start of the album, with the subdued ‘Subbing For Eden’, the late starting ‘Devil You Know’ and ‘Blue Harvest’ all drifting without a directional compass. While far from their best, ‘Torch’ does show a gentle upswing in the tempo and memorability stakes, with the beautifully simplistic ‘Bouquet’ and the dramatically heavy ‘Off By 50’ finally showing a return of genius within the duo. Making up for the lack of experimentation on the album is the limited edition EP that comes with the album. From the acoustic based pop of ‘I’m A Pretty Lady’, the laid back cool of ‘Kylie’ through to the darker tinged title track ‘Autumn Of The Seraphs’, the three tracks featured on the EP enhance the entire ‘Autumn Of The Seraphs’ listening experience. Apart from a slight lull around the middle of the album, ‘Autumn Of The Seraphs’ is exactly what any self-respecting fan would expect from Pinback.