Tuesday 20th September 2011

SEA PINKS – “FOUNTAIN TESSERAE”

Sea Pinks are Girls Names reshuffled, but not just in terms of personnel – the latter’s drummer, Neil Brogan writes and records all of the Sea Pinks songs, and is backed by Cathal and Claire when playing live. Musically however, the comparisons should probably end there, and not just because it’s lazy to draw the most obvious connecting lines.

Gone are the vague allusions to the occult and the haunted detritus of a graying Belfast that characterise Girls Names, replaced with a forlorn jangle that’s melodic, sinuous and addictive. “Fountain Tesserae”, the opening track on their debut album Dead Seas (buy here), is typically abstract yet strangely affecting in its brevity, and a perfect entry point into Sea Pinks world. And what – or where – that world is is intriguing: seemingly positioned somewhere between the sun-dried Brooklyn sway of Beach Fossils, the singularity of early 80s Messthetics and a host of down-out-and-under Flying Nun bands. I guess that means it’s pretty much itself alone.

Clearly, Sea Pinks aren’t just another square in Girls Names’ bigger picture. They’re stand alone, awkward and out-of-step. Like most things purposeful and good.

STREAM
Sea Pinks – “Fountain Tesserae”

(Photo: Millan Rible)