If the West Side Story soundtrack could time travel to the ’80s, it might sound something like Before Today.
Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti merges the building, atmospheric sound of cinema music and the synthesized aesthetic of Flock of Seagulls, coasting on the same sunny, mellow sounds that propelled pop pioneers.
Music Review
Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti
Before Today
Indie
Dive verdict: 3.5/5 stars
One of the most striking and unusual aspects of the group’s latest release is the cinematic quality the seemingly placid songs exude.
“Hot Body Rub,” the nearly wordless opener, is a funked-out ’70s ode to cruising down Main Street in a Camaro. The band capitalizes on music’s ability to evoke specific images and memories, and the sweeping sound of tracks like “Fright Night (Nevermore)” recall the opening scenes of movies that the Pitchfork generation grew up on.
“L’estat” is the album’s clear standout, blending old-school sensibilities with memorable choruses.
Pink seems to specialize in a brand of pop that doesn’t stray far from the ’60s groups that revolutionized the genre, and “L’estat” is a fitting ode to the late greats.
Like The Beach Boys’ Pet Sounds, there are the requisite “oohs” and “ahs” that back Pink’s whisper-soft voice. Then there are the catchy hooks that meld cheeky lyrics and stylized melodies.
Essentially, it’s a precise and well-crafted tribute to the pop of days gone by, and it’s exemplary of what Pink does best — reviving a beloved sound in a meticulous and contemporary way.
And while it’s to Ariel Pink’s credit that the band is bringing vintage sounds to new, indie-tuned ears, several songs on Before Today feel like a subpar retread of classic influences.
On most tracks, Pink’s own identity stays afloat through the montage of cinematic pop and sound bites, but occasionally the group is mired in the niche style it inhabits.
Eventually, the familiar form loses its luster; like a re-enactment of a famous battle, tracks that follow such a restrictive template rarely prove innovative or surprising.
Before Today isn’t the reincarnation of the retro pop it imitates, but it’s a fitting tribute.
Unapologetically vintage, the album may not leave the same legacy its predecessors did, but it’s the rare record that can make an average car ride feel like a scene from a Robert Redford movie.
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