Your money is a jerk
Your money likes to make you work
Your money can’t give your life a raise
It will never strike the heart
It hits like a ricochet
Denver’s Pink Lady Monster splinters expectations with a playful pandemonium bred from improvisation and instantaneous combustion. The collective thrives on chance, channeling the restless spirit of no-wave nihilism through an unhinged assembly of fractured rhythms and delirious vocals. Like fragmented chatter overheard through thin apartment walls where joy, hysteria, and dread meld indistinctly, their sound carries an air of unpredictability that feels thrillingly untethered.
With their new album Ponk, Pink Lady Monster finds liberation by rejecting the comfort of category and convention and embracing full-on No Wave. Their compositions ricochet between free-jazz saxophone squalls, wiry guitar bursts, and rubbery dub basslines, bound together by percussion that scatters sparks into the ether. Avant-garde poetic proclamations weave through the tumult, offering visions ripped straight from subconscious reverie. Yet beneath this disorder lies a playful accessibility into their realm of joyous absurdity, where music becomes a mirror reflecting the beautifully bizarre chaos of human existence.
From the pulsating opening refrain of I’m Paying Attention, Pink Lady Monster’s latest album commands immediate immersion. Hypnotic spoken-word repetitions set an entrancing stage. Ricochet leaps into angular guitars and frenetic rhythms, skewering transactional relationships with razor-sharp wit. Channeling the infectious danceability of A Certain Ratio and the playful punch of Delta 5, combined with Blondie’s charismatic charm, the band delivers dynamic female vocals that slice through the emotional emptiness of consumer-driven affection. Money becomes both a false sanctuary and a source of anxiety, an unstable ally offering fleeting rewards.
Breaking free from mundane chains, Better rolls out a sharp critique of oppressive routines set against spirited new-wave guitars reminiscent of The B-52s and Bush Tetras. With the buoyant energy of the Go-Gos, the track propels a spirited rebellion against daily monotony, capturing the restless drive toward liberation beneath gloomy skies. Responsible takes an eccentric turn, opening with a quirky vibraphone melody swiftly overtaken by angular guitars and bursts of exuberant saxophone. Evoking a frenetic blend of Devo’s surrealism fronted by Blondie’s spirited cool, the track champions bold choices over fearful hesitation, transforming uncertainty into confident action.
Lately ventures deeper into introspective absurdity, spotlighting emotional detachment through everyday contrasts and surreal imagery. This off-kilter track conjures a fragmented psyche grappling with nostalgic rebellion, where restlessness and humor dance uneasily together. The relentless chant-driven energy of Gimme Sum Mo amplifies competitive drive into infectious enthusiasm. Mimicking spirited cheerleading rhythms, it galvanizes listeners with determined motivation and gleeful intensity, reinforcing the band’s playful yet insistent spirit.
Sloppy plunges headfirst into unapologetic authenticity, echoing the experimental frenzy of no-wave pioneers Suburban Lawns. Saxophones spiral wildly over bizarre rhythmic breaks, challenging conformity and celebrating life’s delightful disorder with playful, fearless zeal. In Puppies, unsettling imagery blends jazz influences and spoken-word rap. The track’s dark humour and uneasy juxtaposition of innocence with grotesque visuals provoke contemplation on shared anxieties and lost pleasures, creating a disquieting yet intriguing collage.
Sockhop haunts with a Lynchian blues shuffle, pairing distorted spectral vocals and eerie xylophone melodies. The yearning lyrics ache with vulnerability, calling out in hopeful desperation for emotional connection amidst ghostly atmospherics. Saw Zaw rides the crest of surf-rock waves crashing into the playful experimentation of Raymond Scott and the angular attitude of Bush Tetras. Here, obsessive lyrical searching underscores anxious fixation on unseen possibilities, capturing listeners in a rhythmic whirlpool of intrigue.
The finale, Stretch, accelerates into disco-infused no-wave territory, fueled by buoyant beats and exuberant yipping vocals. Celebrating boundless potential, ambition, and exhilarating competition, it encourages listeners to embrace momentum and expansion, propelling them toward endless possibility.
Listen to PONK below and order the album here.
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