The Big Pink - A Brief History Of Love

Rating:

* * * *

In the late 80s and early 90s, British label 4AD was home to some of the best dream pop bands like the Cocteau Twin and shoegazer groups such as Lush; the Big Pink hark back to those hazy, crazy and often noisy days on this impressive debut.

Made up of Londoners Milo Cordell and Robbie Furze, and a revolving band line-up, they combine a strong pop sensibility, an obsessive urge to experiment, and a shared love of making one hell of a racket. The result is 11 tracks of all-consuming beauty and power, similar to the intoxicating mood conjured up by dour and melodic Scottish noisemakers Glasvegas, but the Big Pink's industrial and electronic pedigree lends their sound a more experimental and menacing bent.

Velvet

is a swarm of noise, yet somehow it's beautiful enough to soak in and you can't help but let it smother you; similarly,

Frisk

is a bludgeoning brain-bender, with a crashing cymbal and cantering throb driving through it.

Then again, it's not all noise and delight.

Dominos

is a big see-sawing, and distorted electronic pop epic,

Love In Vain

is heartfelt and delicate and

At War With the Sun

is a carefree indie rock jaunt with knee-bending riffs.

A Brief History Of Love

is one of the year's most unassuming albums, but also one of the best.

Scott Kara