The Shocking Pinks: Mathematical Warfare

Herald rating: * * * *

Plenty of bands' milk soured romances for inspiration but few ooze disillusionment like the Shocking Pinks. The Christchurch noise merchants impressed the international press on last year's debut Dance the Dance Electric, and are just as enthusiastic about love in a cold climate second time around. They sound as scruffy and pissed-off as always - all muted, slap-happy drums and dark melancholy vocals.

At their best the Pinks are a maelstrom of conflicting ideas, sometimes experimenting with weird atmospheric timbres, splashes of xylophone, tambourine, organ and windchime brightening their whirlpool of black noise. The result is a slightly poppier album, less electro but with a better handle on the hooks. Once the chaos dies down on Victims for instance, the song is a gentle gem. And with tender yet subversive ditties like Emily, it's no wonder Flying Nun snapped them up.

Label: Flying Nun