Quick Spins
Quick Spins
The Pinker Tones: A little of this, a little of that for a summery sound.
(Thepinkertones.com)
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WILD ANIMALS
The Pinker Tones
The boys from Barcelona hit the streets with their sophomore offering, a surprisingly confident and joyful collection of jaunty hooks and mondo beats that fully exploits all that the Pinker Tones hear and integrate in their port city.
Mister Furia and Professor Manso cross-pollinate funk, electronica, bossa, Beach Boys-like harmonies, a little crooked French chanson -- along with an overdose of charm. This is a much more soulful, less chunky collection than previous releases. The lyrics are nonsense (example: "Shake it, shake it, sexy robot/Shake it, shake it, dance with me") but they only add to the light, summery, feel-good effect. Then again, sometimes they surprise, coming off unexpectedly poignant, as on "Happy Everywhere": "I'm happy everywhere/It's just that I'm a little bit scared." It skirts camp, sure, but doesn't quite go over the top; it also doesn't disappear into the meaningless monotony of extended dance music. There's plenty of attitude but it's not an off-putting cool.
If these guys seem a bit tongue in cheek, the musicianship is anything but: The fusion's seamless. And, hey, tunes like "24" and even "S.E.X.Y. R.O.B.O.T." are perfect soundtracks for driving, and ideal for dancing around the house. The big surprise this time around is the boys' sweet harmonizing -- who knew? "On Se Promenait" whispers and soars. Lyrics arrive in English, Spanish and French and code-switch with continental flair.
The Pinker Tones are scheduled to perform at Merriweather Post Pavilion on July 16.
-- Achy Obejas
DOWNLOAD THESE:"S.E.X.Y. R.O.B.O.T.," "24," "On Se Promenait," "Electrotumbao"
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