Pinback rises to potential
Published Sept. 7, 2007
With prolific artists such as San Diego music scene stalwarts Armistead Burwell Smith IV (also known as Zach Smith) and Rob Crow, who collectively make up the backbone of Pinback, it is really a hit-or-miss type of ordeal with each new release.
Fortunately, Pinback continues to prove itself to be one of the bands with the greatest potential in modern indie rock. Not only is the quality of musicianship beyond the scope of many of their contemporaries, but Crow and Smith also push the band forward into new, broader territories with a thematically cohesive album in mind.
As catchy and seemingly straightforward as many of the songs on the band's newest release, Autumn of the Seraphs, can be, the complexities buried beneath the album's many layers require multiple listens to get familiar with.
Smith is no stranger to commanding a strong rhythm section, and his bass lines are as graceful as ever on Autumn of the Seraphs. Opener "From Nothing to Nowhere" maintains its momentum by staying heavy on the tilt-a-whirl bass, and Smith slinks around all possible openings in the jazz-influenced "Torch." The drums are louder than ever thanks to guest drummers Mario Rubalcaba from Rocket from the Crypt and Chris Prescott from No Knife.
Autumn of the Seraphs is united thematically by its dark, prophetic lyrics. Both Smith and Crow, who share dual vocal duties throughout the majority of songs, keep their voices reserved in Ben Gibbard-esque fashion and sometimes even drop into chant-like rhythms before making full use of their distinctive vocal styles to deliver strange messages like the chorus of "Off by 50": "When the earth is mined/The water and the seas have all been wiped/To pave the way/Forced/Primed/To kick the very seeds from their heights."
Whereas Pinback's last release, Summer in Abaddon, drifted into overindulgent (read: boring) patches with morose tones and electronic drums, Autumn contains some of Smith and Crow's best work. "Walters" takes its time to morph from an acoustic piece to a prog loop-driven buildup to its final propulsive ending. "How We Breathe" charms its way in with falsetto crooning and '90s indie-guitar work. Pinback excels dynamically like few bands do.
Autumn of the Seraphs is one of those albums that you want to listen to over and over to experience each nuance as fully as possible. It is definitely not a cheerful record, but it is absolutely infectious all the way in.
