Birthday Massacre - Pins & Needles (Jewl)
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CD Details
Artist: Birthday MassacreEdition: Music CD
Audio: English (Unknown)
CD Release Date: 2010-09-14
Music Label: Metropolis Records
Soundtracks:
- In the Dark
- Always
- Pale
- Control
- Shallow Grave
- Sideways
- Midnight
- Pins and Needles
- Two Hearts
- Sleep Walking
- Secret
Music reviews of Pins & Needles (Jewl)
Music Review: 4.5 stars -- More upbeat and truly awesome stuff that any fan won't want to miss!
Rating: 5 Stars
After quite a long wait from their last album of original material, 2007's Walking with Strangers (it still felt like a long time, even though I just discovered these guys last year!), The Birthday Massacre has finally released their third outing of melodic 80's retro style darkwave pop lined with a warm enveloping blistering guitar crunch and packed with lush melodies that sends chills down your spine. A lot of their feel reminds me of something like the movie Dark Crystal meets The Nightmare Before Christmas set to an industrial 80s rock soundtrack... and I find that to be quite praiseworthy!
So do these guys (and gal) still have it? Does 'Pins & Needles' measure up to their previous works? Let's jump right into some questions that may be floating around your mind about this release if you've reached this page and you're on the fence about whether or not to plunk down your hard-earned bucks on the new album:
1). "I'm new to these guys. I've heard the samples and they sound interesting. What should I do? Start here or look at their other work first?
A: If you liked the samples, then you really can't go wrong with any of their releases. Although if you're looking for the best place to begin, I'd say check out Violet first and followed by Walking with Strangers, then proceed onto this one and Nothing & Nowhere. Both the former albums combined have a lot of memorable tracks with plenty of variety to them. Their sound is pretty much as I described above (80's style darkwave pop with metal guitars and an industrial edge). So if that all sounds like a good combination to you, I say go for it and take the plunge into the world of TBM!
2). "I've never liked TBM. Will this release change my mind?"
A: Sorry to say this, but if you didn't care for their previous works, then Pins & Needles won't really do anything to turn you into a fan. They still incorporate much of the same heavy synth backdrops with metal guitars and they still sing about nightmares, bedtime stories, lost love, & anything related to after dark. So if that's not your thing, I'd say save your money and look elsewhere. However, chances are most of you who reach this page are already fans of their other works, so this info is really only for the few who have never liked TBM to begin with and are hoping for a change.
3). "Nothing & Nowhere, Violet, and Walking With Strangers changed my life! I love these guys and have everything ever released by TBM. Is this still the same awesome band?
A: Of course, no worries there! Chibi still belts out her same awesome style of goosebump-inducing melodic vocals. She doesn't use the whispering/growling that she had on past songs like "Happy Birthday", but other than that I feel her vocals have actually improved a bit. And the rest of the band is as great as ever. Lyrics are pretty much the same as always. The synths will have you recalling all their previous works all the while giving you more to love about their sound. Most likely, if you fall into this camp, you have 'Pins & Needles' in your collection already, so I don't need to tell you twice to go grab it!
4). "I enjoyed most everything TBM has put out over the years, and seeing as they're 3 albums in now, I'm looking for them to evolve and try something new. Rehashing leads to creative stagnation. Are we gonna get any real innovation this time around?"
A: Not really. TBM haven't done anything drastic like switching genres, selling out, going rap, adding extra instruments, writing longer songs, incorporating orchestras, experimenting with different song structures, and whatever else you can think of that sounds unlike TBM. Fact of the matter is, even though they've only had a couple of real albums, TBM have found their niche and as the saying goes: "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." The band doesn't seem to care about altering their sound, and as such they're sticking to what they do best. I think it would be cool for them to change it up a little bit, though I don't feel there's anything wrong with what they're making now, especially if what they're still creating is done REALLY well. I suppose the closest thing to innovation might be the drum beat they incorporate throughout 'In the Dark', which is unique for them. So if you're looking for something ground-breakingly different with 'Pins & Needles', you'll probably be disappointed. Nevertheless, I still say go check it out. I mean, what have you got to lose? At the very least, you'll just end up with "another Birthday Massacre album". You could honestly do a lot worse.
5). "I've heard that this album's songwriting isn't as strong this time around and these new songs aren't as catchy as before. Is this true?"
A: Well, yes and no. In terms of catchiness, this set probably won't grab you as immediately as the previous albums do upon initial listens (in other words, there's nary a song that hooks you in quite the same way as, say... 'Horror Show' or 'Weekend'... with the exception of perhaps the awesome 'Midnight'). However, I've listened to this album a good 10 times already, and each time I hear it the songs do get better and better. I've noticed that the guitars have bigger crunch, the production is slightly better than 'Strangers', and the melodies add more billowy texture and subtle sounds that you don't catch the first time around. So 'Pins & Needles' will take a little more patience to get into. There were 1 or 2 songs towards the second half that felt a little meh to me at first, but even those opened up eventually.
6). "So what are your thoughts on Pins & Needles?"
A: Overall, I quite enjoyed this new album. While it's not really innovative for them, seeing as how they've held this exact sound together for the span of their discography, that still doesn't bother me because it's all done extremely well. I've found so much to like about what's here -- gorgeously lush rocking melodies and solid songwriting that grabs you over time. Upon the first listen, I really liked "Pale", "Shallow Grave" and especially the faster "Midnight". That one definitely gave me the warm fuzzies! Other highlights that won me over are "In The Dark", "Always" and the ending ballad "Secret". It's not absolutely perfect, as there are a few spots that lose my attention here and there, but it's usually not for long. So do give it a few spins before you judge it.
And there you have it, I hope this review has been helpful. I wish I had some other band/album recommendations, but so far I haven't found anything that I can honestly say sounds just like them. If anyone has any ideas, let me know and I'll post them here.
Description of Pins & Needles (Jewl)
Combining their interests in various musical and artisticstyles, The Birthday Massacre creates a captivating
hybrid of 80s electronica and aggressive guitars,
curiously fused with cinematically dark melodic
progressions. With the new album entitled Pins and
Needles, The Birthday Massacre further refines the
unique sound explored on the bands highly acclaimed
previous albums Walking With Strangers, Violet, and the
classic debut Nothing and Nowhere. From the opening
notes of the lead off track In The Dark to the closing
chimes of Secret, it is evident that Pins and Needles is
The Birthday Massacre at its collective best. The interplay
of driving guitar and rhythm sections, the captivating
vocals, and atmospheric keyboards envelop the listener.
With Pins and Needles, The Birthday Massacre once
again leads us down the rabbit hole and invites us to
explore the magical wonderland it has created.
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