Album Review: Pearls - Pretend You're Mine

With the release of lead single Big Shot late last year, Melbourne trio Pearls provided a perfect little alt-pop gem to introduce their forthcoming debut long-player, teasing listeners by slotting sassily into summer radio playlists.

With a thick, dark groove carved from Cassandra Kiely’s keys, drummer Ellice Blakeney’s vocal slinks in and out of guitarist Ryan Caesar’s calls with the magnetism of Debbie Harry. Instrumentally it’s a basic cut – carefully placed fuzzed-out riffs and fat, unhurried percussion fill the mix – but it delivers a confident, dirty charm. The title track and second single bookends the record with a similarly stomping groove as Caesar channels a Rock On era David Essex to lead into the payoff, an echoing, yearning chorus refrain. There’s certainly some ‘70s glam rock influence at play here (a quick glance at the cover art alone will confirm this), though album tracks, including Me And My Girl and Part Timer, take a much cleaner pop-rock approach. And Straight Through The Heart changes tack again, spiralling into late-at-night desire via affecting though fleeting melodic touches and just the right percussive moves from Blakeney.

Most importantly, the shared vocal approach of the three members serves the needs of each track across Pretend You’re Mine rather than being an exercise in diplomacy that can often leave a listener cold. Their interplay and the group dynamic as a whole are intriguing and magnetic, and a lustful undercurrent leaves one with an insatiable need for repeat spins.