Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti
Mature Themes

Ariel Pink’s, you never know if he's just pretending or truly is. Starting from his long mane of pink hair, you think: where did this guy come from? Then, listening to his albums, you realize that this young man has listened to a lot of music and you begin to evaluate him positively. Let me clarify immediately: all the compositions are original (except for a few occasional covers), but they make sure that the ear recognizes themes and sounds characteristic of some band from the '70s - '80s era. I absolutely don't want to label him as a plagiarist, but some of his songs bring to mind certain sound movements that have emerged over the years, such as disco music or psychedelic-prog reinterpretations. The most obvious example is offered by his previous album “Before Today,” but the earlier ones are no slouch either. Another characteristic is the lo-fi attitude (yet another nod to certain '70s recordings); if in his early albums Ariel could use multi-track recorders of modest quality, from 2010, being part of the AD label, he could boast of certainly more advanced technologies; yet he has remained faithful to this type of recording, as if it were his trademark.

With the title “Mature Themes,” our Ariel wants to tell us that he has finally reached maturity towards an album that focuses entirely on pop. But that kind of pop that leaves you stunned, articulated in the foundations, in the reprises (not the microphone ones, eh) and in the breaks. But the lyrics sometimes shock, both for how bizarre they are and for how, in their relative simplicity, incredibly poetic they are. Example from “Schnitzel Boogie”: why on earth would someone talk about the typical Austrian schnitzel? And why should this song be associated with another that talks about a love incredibly desired but that will remain only in his dreams (“Only in My Dreams”)? And this makes us wonder why Ariel is a clown for the first episode but capable of also writing lyrics like the second. Why does he do it? Is there any cryptic message hidden in the schnitzel lyrics, capable of being translated by only a few? Does he want to emulate one of his idols like Frank Zappa? Indeed, he has often been compared to good old Uncle Zappa, particularly in this album where you can also hear “Is This The Best Pop?”, a sort of electro punk that seems to come directly from the mustached one's repertoire. But the surprises don't end here; little compositions like “Driftwood” delight the listener's ears while listening to the new dark punk of “Early Birds Of Babylon,” the synth pop declaration of “Symphony of the Nymphs” and its wonderful lyrics. There's also space for Bee Gees' callbacks in “Pink Slime,” ambient themes like “Nostradamus & Me,” and the sad and melancholic blues of “Baby.”

But at this point, you might wonder: is this Ariel capable of composing something “his own” without such evident influences? Well, I say that for better or worse, every artist, unless they are a cornerstone of the genre, has always, subtly or not, drawn from predecessors (especially nowadays). But Ariel's work is much more than simple borrowing; in his compositions, he has always made you remember someone without falling into plagiarism. At first listen, you may declare him as just a copier, then you listen again and realize you were wrong and reassess, the third time you think again he is a copier, the fourth time that he's a genius; and so on, a vicious circle that alternates between the hypothesis of the authenticity of his songs to the moment you say he's a charlatan. But I still prefer to define him as an evoker of memories: after many listens you realize that it's not easy at all to “copy” as he does. And he does it excellently.

Rating: 8