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Jun 08, 2015 Issue #53 - April/May 2015 - Tame Impala By Dan Lucas

The Jesus and Mary Chain meets Led Zeppelin meets Beach House. Post-punk feminist Weezer. Best Coast with a personality. When it comes to describing PINS, a vast array of comparisons can crop up, but far from being derivative, such an amalgamation of influences results in a band that sounds very little like any of their peers.

The Mancunian quartet’s new album, Wild Nights, continues in a similar vein to debut Girls Like Us, with squawking punkish guitars and a thunderous rhythm section to the fore; there are certainly few better young drummers around than Sophie Galpin. Singer Faith Holgate sounds as moody as any of the 1980s alternative rock singers that are an apparent influence. Once again—and this should be no surprise given that the band openly cite the likes of the Mary Chain as an influence—it’s achingly cool as hell.

The selling point of Wild Nights, however, is that it’s also tremendous fun. From the jangly guitar riffs and breathy backing harmonies of “Curse These Dreams,” through the swoon of the druggy “Got it Bad,” to the Zeppelin-esque romp of “Too Little, Too Late,” this is an album that never feels the need to compromise on enjoyability for substance.

This album feels more expensive than its predecessor. There are extra layers of guitar and keyboard expertly sewn in and the production is big, loud, and clear. At times it can be a bit all over the place, switching apropos of nothing between dream pop and post-punk, but this only adds to the sense of glee behind it. The likes of HAIM should take note of how it’s done. (www.wearepins.co.uk)

Author rating: 8/10