The Big Pink - A Brief History of Love

The Big Pink are a band who make me feel as if I know them already from somewhere, or else should. It’s partly why I opted to get a hold of a copy of their debut album (and was surprised that it was only a debut) – especially given that they signed to 4AD – label of Future of the Left – early 2009. After I’ve discovered the amount of hype that’s been building up around them from the likes of the NME, it’s not surprising.

I have to be honest – I can’t work out if I like this record or not. Parts of it are far too ballady for my tastes. The likes of “Love In Vain” rings massively of The Verve’s era, which is enough to make me reach for skip even before I’ve heard the slowslow melody for the fourth time. It reminds me of when smarmy, ‘hard English lads’ like Richard Ashcroft try and be sentimental, and all you want to do is punch them in the face repeatedly until they shut up – a similar feeling comes from Billy Corgan’s nasally whine on ‘Tonight, Tonight’ – stick to what you’re good at, and save the introspective guff for drunken serenading of girlfriends please.

However, then you hear tracks like “Dominos”, with its bursting chorus of “these girls fall like dominos”, and I find myself wanting to hit repeat over and over again. ‘Tonight’ near the end of the album another one worthy of comment – especially as it’s one of the few where the ‘electro-rock’ tag actually might apply. In my book, electro-rock would be more along the lines of Does It Offend You Yeah? Sweeping synths don’t count.

I’m disappointed.. I really wanted to like this album for some reason. And yet, I do.. just not all of it. Not For The Cock suggested that a trimmed down EP would be much better, and I’m struggling to disagree. Axe the meandering love-tracks, and you’ve definitely got me interested.