Album Review: NEEDLES//PINS’ “Shamebirds”

“DOWN ON THE EAST SIDE, I DON’T CARE, I STOLE TWO BEERS AND I’M GOING NOWHERE”

“I WANNA RESENT YOU, BUT I’LL HOLD YOU NOW”

“AND YOU DON’T KNOOOOOOOOOOW, WHEN I’M AT HOOOOOOOOOOOOOME, AND I’M ALOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONE, WELL I, I JUST GOTTA LET IT GO”

“THEY SAAAAAAAAAAY, THERE’S SOMETHING BEAUTIFUL IN FEELING ROTTEN, I DON’T CAAAAAAAAAAARE, TO ME IT’S JUST THE PROCESS OF HITTING BOTTOM”

Hooks.  Hooks everywhere.

NEEDLES//PINS is both is the best kept secret of both pop-punk and the city of Vancouver.  Considering that Vancouver has one of the best music scenes on the planet right now, that’s a big statement.  Listing off all of the excellent bands from that would take too long, but these guys are the best.  They don’t do anything fancy, they aren’t trying to impress you, they’re making catchy songs designed to make you move and think about the way you feel, without being a wuss about it.  It’s a simple, classic approach, but nobody today doesn’t quite like, or as well as, NEEDLES//PINS.  Not everything needs to push the boundaries of music.  There’s absolutely nothing wrong with ten perfect pop songs.

The word “crunchy” seems to pop up far more often than it should when describing guitar tone, but in this case, it’s a perfect descriptor.   Crunchy with a bit of “chime” to it.   The playing is exceptionally tight without feeling manufactured or rehearsed, reminiscent of the days of old-school pop-punk bands like Buzzcocks and the Undertones.  What’s both bizarre and impressive about this is that despite these very crunchy, clear, defined riffs,  NEEDLES//PINS seem to have an even greater sense of melody than those classic acts.  All ten songs on this album feature massively infectious melodies that flow as effortlessly as a jangle pop tune would, but at the same time, they sound nothing like them.  They’re too snotty, too gritty, too punchy, but also beautiful and graceful.  It’s difficult to pinpoint where this guitar tone/style pair-up has happened before, at least quite like this, other than NEEDLES//PINS’ previous works.   What NEEDLES//PINS do is so simple, you’d think there would be a million bands that sound just like them. NEEDLES//PINS have managed to, on 12:34, create a sound that is both immediately accessible and unique to them, and on Shamebirds, perfect it.

There are no highlights, or rather, everything is a highlight.  Lead single “Only Call Me When You’re Drunk” far outstrips the most popular mopey song about a girl only calling a guy when she’s inebriated on the radio today.  It’s an anthem, balancing anger and frustration with what feels like celebration, as if the band were telling Arctic Monkeys to stop whining, because at least she still calls.  Which is a bit of a sad thing to celebrate.  There are a bunch of these sort of subtle gut punches throughout the album, each as palpable as the next.

The troll-y vocals (NEEDLES//PINS are self-proclaimed “trollwave”) get extra troll-y  on “Hate When You’re Leaving”.  They get an extra whine to them as well, giving it a sense of parody, like they’re mocking those clingy male singer-songwriter types who strum their lame, acoustic ballads full of manufactured emotion in an attempt to pick up girls.  However, on the very last lyric, the vocalist sounds dead serious.  Maybe he sometimes feels a bit like the overly emotional singer-songwriter, but is reluctant to express that decidedly uncool side, until the very end.  In any case, it’s awesome.

Perhaps the most surprising part of the album is the “High and Waiting” section of “High and Waiting // Cheap Cigarettes”.  It’s bare bones, stripped down, lo-fi, low tempo, heart-on-your-sleeve stuff, and there was nothing like it on the debut.  The vocals are panged and affecting.  Throughout the album, the phrase “I don’t care” pops up, usually following an admission of something troubling, like the vocalist is trying to convince himself.  He doesn’t bother here.  It feels true and welcoming, a small crack in a window to let some air and further clarity in, in a try to make the listener empathize on a personal level.  It works because it feels natural, not manipulative; not tragic, just regular, everyday, “everyone has their problems, let’s let it out for a little while” sad.  When “Cheap Cigarettes” kicks in, it’s him telling himself to get over it, express those feelings in a way he feels is more productive.  The whole thing is very human.

Shamebirds plays out a bit like a drunken, synchronized ballet of reluctantly emotional trolls.  If that all sounds fascinating to you, I implore you to check out this album.

One thing to end on: the Replacements are my favorite band of all-time.  Ever since I discovered them and knew they weren’t recording anymore, I’ve been trying to fill a void that was never really full for me to begin with: a modern-day equivalent to the Replacements, not in sound, but in spirit.  Before now,  Gentleman Jesse and Bed Wettin’ Bad Boys were the top contenders.  NEEDLES//PINS just snuck up and locked it down.  Thank you.

A+

You can stream for free in full and/or purchase Shamebirds here.

By Travis Shosa