Surreal Pop Rock
Ah, the underground L.A. scene...visions of tattooed junkies, fading actresses and ex-starlets appear in one's imagination at the very mention of the phrase, with all of these tragic characters living out their post-Less Than Zero fantasies/nightmares. Well, if these disturbingly attractive dreams ever required a soundtrack, Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti's 'Before Today' is a strong contender.
The brainchild of pop surrealist and all round musical weirdo Ariel Rosenburg, APHG's new album sees Ariel stepping out of the bedroom where he has recorded his previous eight albums and into the studio, producing surprisingly polished results for someone who has forged a career out of overtly lo-fi meanderings, (on his earlier home-made recordings, Ariel would create squelching beats with various body parts in lieu of regular percussion.)
'Round and Round' has shades of Madonna's 'Borderline' around the edges, with a chorus as catchy as anything you will hear on the radio, whilst 'Beverly Kills's' marriage of Prince-esque falsettos and off-beat yodeling somehow creates a perfect anti-pop tune, with its irreverent chorus, "Can't stop the press!" Fans of APHG's earlier work will appreciate the raw edge of 'Butthouse Blondies', which sounds as if the Pixies had suddenly discovered a vocoder and were toying around with it whilst recording 'Debaser'.
For anyone who is unfamiliar with Ariel's previous back catalogue, this is definitely his most accessible album, one to ease you into the general weirdness that dances around in Rosenburg's head before he channels his angels and demons out on to his four-track, or in 'Before Today's' case, a full studio. It's doubtful that APHG will be picked up by a major label any time soon, however it has to be said that Ariel has come a long way for someone who used to create drum sounds with his armpit.