Album Review: The Pinheads - The Pinheads

The Pinheads are a rough mixture of punk rock mash - in the best possible way.

Opener Second Coming is more a wall of loud jangle than anything else - but damn it's fun. An older school pseudo surfer vibe takes over for Fight Or Flight, complete with the type of pop sensibility that Iggy himself would approve of. They take this trip a little further again with a supersonic high-pitched chorus in Wildfire, almost early B-52s in terms of its schlocky sci-fi-ness. The pace drops a bit for Slave, and after a slow intro Tough Luck takes us back to age 11 again. I Wanna Know is a bit simpler in its approach but still catchy (especially with descending backing vox), while Mudman provides a rare organic-ish moment - almost folkie and echoey - but a welcome break of pace. Mudman allows for a moment to stop and reflect, as well as being a solid tune that is still quite dark.

The rock returns with Gimme Back, this time The Stones meets best of Aussie indie - part Custard, part You Am I, part early Mick and the boys. To end, Spooky Ballad does what it says on the tin and is delivered with country guitar and echoey vocals, peppering the main protagonist's heartache. Nicely done.