Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti
Mature Themes LP vinil

Ariel Pink’s major label debut ‘Before Today’ was something of a revelation. Operating under the ‘Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti’ alias and accompanied by a full band, this was the album that transformed the lo-fi pioneer from oddball bedroom tinkerer into a fully realized (and sellable) act. With this in mind, ‘Mature Themes’ might just be Pink’s attempt at self-sabotage of a kind, as it finds the artist regressing to the kind of tape saturated weirdness we fell in love with right around when ‘The Doldrums’ dropped in 2004. That’s not to say ‘Mature Themes’ isn’t packed with the shimmering lite-pop that made its predecessor so darned successful, but adorned with challenging lyrics and a gruff sardonic streak you can trace right back to British post punkers the Television Personalities you’re hardly going to trip over another ‘Round and Round’. A smart title then, and ‘Mature Themes’ doesn’t only describe the comedic sexual content, rather that by regressing somewhat, Pink has been able to redefine and chisel the quality of his sound, resulting in a sleeper success – an album much less immediate than its predecessor but more developed in every way. The subtle, slithering funk (possibly influenced by friend and collaborator Dam Funk?), nihilistic no-wave streak and deadpan vocal delivery sounds as if the album was recorded in an East Village basement back in 1982, and to be quite honest if someone slid us a tape under the table telling us it was some hallowed ‘lost gem’ we wouldn’t be surprised. Yet again Ariel Pink has done something to confound expectations, and yet again it puts him right at the top of the pile. Highly recommended.

NEW / Released in 012 

Tracklist:

A1 Kinski Assassin

A2 Is This The Best Spot?

A3 Mature Themes

A4 Only In My Dreams

A5 Driftwood

A6 Early Birds Of Babylon

B1 Schnitzel Boogie

B2 Symphony Of The Nymph

B3 Pink Slime

B4 Farewell American Primitive

B5 Live It Up

B6 Nostradamus And Me