Customer Reviews

Autumn of the Seraphs

5 star:		(25)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Like all of Pinback's work, with the possible exception of the song "Penelope" (depending on who you ask), this album doesn't slap you across the face screaming "I AM THE BEST THING SINCE SLICED BREAD". That aint what this band is all about. Their music is layered and subtle. Chord shifts and tonal progressions you may not notice at first reveal themselves over time. Your ears will suddenly pick up on neat little instrumental flourishes that were invisible before. And that's precisely what makes these guys so great.... their craftsmanship, subtlety, and attention to detail, not to mention top-shelf musicianship: it goes without saying that Zach is an incredible bass player, but Crow is also a very underrated guitarist. Like the band itself, his guitar style is subtle and understated, with a welcome LACK of ego and a focus on playing what is right at the right time.

Is this album as good as Summer in Abaddon? Yep, but it's apples and oranges. The mood is different here, and the songs tend to be a bit more immediate. The addition of a live drummer on most of these tracks is a much welcome change. They needed to evolve this way; the programmed beats on Abaddon were starting to stick out as the weakest link. I will say this too, though, the most obvious drum-machined track on here, "How We Breathe" is one of the prettiest songs they've done in a long time, right up there with "Loro".

So yeah, this album rules. It might not kick you in the jaw with its over-the-top killer riff@ge, but that's not the point. As another reviewer said, "chill out" and enjoy this music for years to come, because as with ALL of their stuff, it's the type of album that you will probably get a LOT of mileage out of. I don't know about you guys, but I still listen to all of Pinback's older albums quite frequently, years later, and there aren't many other contemporary artists that I can say that about.

On a final note, do yourself a favor and listen to this on a primo set of headphones!

Pinback continues with the trademark mathematical rhythm blend of guitars and bass and essential but mimialistic drum beats. I first listened to this CD- then right away, listened to it again. Even the cover artwork is great...kind of makes you actually want to buy a CD instead of a download.

This album mixes in solid guitar riffs, for example on Blue Harvest the guitar riff is a deviation from other PB albums but a great addition. The songwriting becomes better and better with each PB album and this is a notch above Summer in Abaddon which I consider a 5 star album. Pinbacks trademark harmonies are strong and compliment the great array of songs on this album. The last song on the CD, "Off by 50", is a powerful anthem of synthesizer, guitar and tremedous harmonies. Other 5 star tracks; From Nothing to Nowhere, How We Breathe, Walters, Torch, Bouquet...hell they're all great.

This is my second Pinback album (my first was Summer in Abaddon) and it meets, if not exceeds my new album expectations! First before I review the content of the music, I would also concur with another review who recommended buying the c.d. instead of downloading for the great cover art. Indeed the album art, c.d., and linear notes are beautifully drawn and will make the rest of your album collection look good (at least in my humble opinion). Now on to the music. The music is awesome!!! Pinback has a sound that is all their own. Like Summer in Abaddon, Autumn of the Seraphs is full of beautiful fresh melodies, relaxing chilled out beats, and nice warm soothing vocals from talented singer Rob Crow. The songs are usually soft yet strangely engaging and work well with the lyrics which are clever and interesting. The song "Walters" is my favorite song on the record right now, which is a song about a man who rides his lawn chair into the sky! How cool is that? When I first got the album, "Good To Sea" was my favorite song because of it's wonderful wave sounding melodies. Anyways, Autumn of the Seraphs is all good and will definitely satisfy a true Pinback fans Pinback lust and is, what I believe, a good place to start for new listeners. And! what better time to buy it than now when you can get a free limited edition bonus disk with 3 additional Pinback tracks: I'm A Pretty Lady, Kylie, and Autumn of The Seraphs!! Well, hope that was somewhat informative (especially that last thing I said), thank you for reading! Now listen to Pinback and be happy.

Pinback is not new, yet has the tranquil ability to always sound new. They make a quiet brand of loud music that seeps ever so slowly into the background of your life, not necessarily making much sense. There is a beauty in the lyrical chaos created by Pinback's amazing vocalists, who harmonize in layers and fragments and stun concert-goers with their accuracy and cohesion. And that live experience is what might be missing from reviewers here who hear snippets and trash albums. If you can visit with Pinback in the dark confines of a small club, their sound will embrace and lift you into their world. Pinback flew close to the sun on Summer in Abaddon, and only gets hotter on Autumn of the Seraphs. If you find yourself with the 3-song Bonus Disc, you will see how prolific this band has become. I've often felt that some of their b-sides and bonus songs outshine those that have become popular. I hope the new drummer is touring, since the percussion rockets to the front on this record, as well as some radical keyboard effects. Sometimes I wish I knew what Pinback was saying, but I know better than to sit and analyze lyrics when the message is in the sound. Transmission received.

Pinback returns for another "instant classic" album. It takes some getting used to...but Autumn of the Seraphs is definitely something to write home about. It falls slightly short of their previous work, Summer in Abaddon, but that's not really a fair comparison considering SiA was perfect from start to finish. Overall a must-buy. Go out and get yours today!

I looked forward to this album for a long time and wasn't disappointed. Pinback's music is intellectual pop -- and some of the songs, especially the first two on the album -- "From Nothing to Nowhere" and "Barnes" take a few listens to wield their magic. Listening to their music is, to use a stretched analogy, more like listening to Bach than Mozart -- it is immediately impressive and obviously well-thought out but some of it, like Bach's music in my experience, takes becoming familiar before it engages at an emotional level. On the other hand, a song like "Good to Sea" is immediately both intellectually and emotionally exciting. As a whole the album is exciting and a new direction for Pinback, it feels less driven by an underlying feeling of muted anger and distilled urges and more by a desire to explore and feel -- if that makes sense at all, and here I am not even discussing it at the level of lyrics but just the experience of listening to the music. I think Abaddon will remain my favorite Pinback album but this is a brilliant and catchy continuation and evolution of a band that I hope continues to make music for a long time.

Pinback caught my eye a few months ago by drawing comparisons to bands such as Death Cab, Built to Spill, Modest Mouse, and Beulah. I immediately downloaded Summer in Abaddon and thoroughly enjoyed it. I didn't notice many similarities to the aforementioned bands (I guess if any indie rock band uses a drum machine they are going to be compared to Death Cob now, huh?), but the album moved me. Pinback has another solid release in Autumn of the Seraphs, but with a steadier, less emotional tone. The songs are of similar quality, but the style is more calculated.

If you're new to the band, I suggest picking up Summer first. If you're already a fan, don't hesitate to add Autumn to your collection, but expect something a little different ... more Mogwai (which doesn't necessarily mean less vocals), less Promise Ring.

-Brandon

With Autumn Of The Seraphs, their fourth proper full-length, Pinback hardly need to prove themselves. Regardless, seconds into album opener "From Nothing To Nowhere," the band deliver an argument convincing enough to eliminate any debate. A driving, mid-tempo cruise launches Autumn with a rolling melody and a staccato chorus invoking a fascinating collision of "Catholic Block"-style Sonic Youth and the Buzzcocks. Following tracks ease up on the accelerator, opening up some room between the instruments. While at times the effect can be predictable indie pop ("Barnes"), other moments ("Good To Sea," "Subbing For Eden") glow with an artfully subdued groove shared by such disparate cousins as Wire, the Postal Service and The Argument-era Fugazi. Pinback carefully avoid the masturbatory gutter of overplaying while boasting some of the crispest rhythm-section work this side of a jazz legend (part of the credit may be due to the addition of ex-Rocket From The Crypt drummer Mario Rubalcaba). Continuing in the fine tradition of Three Mile Pilot, Autumn represents Pinback's strongest album to date.

This CD doesn't disappoint... There are a lot of musicians out there who release one or two brilliant tracks with each album. Autumn of the Seraphs sets a much higher standard of consistent quality in every track. The sound is similar to previous Pinback releases, but the melodies are more aggressive and creative. Melodic counterpoint between the vocals and instruments creates a rich, complex musical structure, and the artwork is among the best I've ever seen in an album sleeve. A must buy for fans of complex rock-n-roll, this is a significant improvement over previous Pinback releases.

I never heard of pinback before...but this album ended up on my ipod after a visit to a good friends house. Even then it sat on the proverbial shelf, until, one day, "How We Breathe" popped up on super-random...at that was all she wrote. On a set of good headies, as the last review says, this album offers more and more with every listen...Definitely worth hitting a few of the preview buttons above, don'tcha think!!?! Who knows what you could be missing? I just wonder if I discovered them too late...