It’s hard enough as it is to pick a standout track from Freakazoid (Pure Noise Records). It’s even harder to find any two tracks that sound the same. Therefore, expect a bevy of entertaining, ear-pleasing tracks from The Pink Spiders, because that’s what this new record is. The songs might transport you to another time in your life, or they might play perfectly as a soundtrack to a montage. 

What Freakazoid won’t do is leave you glued to your chair as the ten tracks expertly blend not-always-happy songwriting with electronics and rhythm lines which are presented freshly and coherently. 

The hooks are instant earworms, not in the least thanks to Matt Friction’s vocal manipulation, their pompous, chin-in-the-air inflections which enhance the environment. It’s a uniqueness that creates a dynamic and a vibe rife with ingenuity.  ‘Gold Confetti,’ ‘Stoned To The Bone,’ ‘Freakin’ Freakin’ Out’ and ‘You’re The One’ all provide ample opportunity to bounce, dance, shake, and slide. They’re simultaneously simply written and masterfully eclectic.  Additionally, the quality-over-quantity utilization of keyboards strengthens the record’s magnetic pull. Much like a fancy new outfit, scarcity emphasizes its importance and effectiveness. 

‘Let’s Go Home’ is zany, while the infectious ‘Devotion’ mimics early No Doubt with phasers, throwing it back a few decades. ‘Stoned To The Bone’ is frilly. The aforementioned ‘Freakin’’ takes you back to the glory days of the eighties. 

And that’s an apt way to describe this record: glorious. 

Good on The Pink Spiders for packing Freakazoid just right. There is zero excess fat despite the band’s innate musicianship. The band certainly have the chops for more hits, but they know when to call it a record. And it’s a damn good one, at that. 

Buy the album here:

https://purenoise.merchnow.com/collections/the-pink-spiders

8 / 10

MATT COOK