Pirouette. Model/Actriz

On the basis of the singles preceding Pirouette I had not expected to write a single letter on the album, but, here I am. After a few seconds I already new enough when skimming over recent singles earlier this year. I gave the cd one chance while reading the morning paper and was too lazy to turn it off after the first two songs.

Luckily, I did not do so, as slowly but surely a musical trip unfolded itself that brought me to many places that I did not expect myself to go. Yes, there are fiendishly loud and sometimes totally ugly rhythms and sounds. But there are also melodies that seem to be lifted from the best Soft Cell songs, and then add a pure punk attitude oozing through the rhythms.

Over the din singer Cole Haden sings, shouts, smooches, whispers and what not. He's a man with a multi-coloured voice. Like Soft Cell's Mark Almond, Haden does not hide is sexual preference. E.g. in 'Diva'. The biggest surprise, after hearing Blondshell sing about the "Soprano Museum" on its new album, see yesterday, Haden sings "I'm such a Soprano" in 'Diva''.

The band, besides Cole Haden, Ruben Radlauer, drums, Jack Wetmore, guitar and Aaron Shapiro, bass, formed in 2016 in Boston, to break up a year later, to reform in 2019. Album 'Dogsbody' was released in 2023. From what I've read it more punk oriented than Pirouette. All members are credited with production for Pirouette, which I take as producing all the electronic sounds on the album. Now based in Brooklyn, a hotbed of modern bands and singers, it is ready to take on the world.

The most surprising song on the album is 'Acid Rain'. I can almost call it a ballad and compared to the rest of the album, it is. Haden sings with his softest voice and the band accompanies him accordingly, if we sort of ignore all the weird noises that jump in and out of the song for most of the time. Let's call it the weirdest solo guitar ever, as it is all effects and atmospherics.

It shows how the album attracts and pushes away, attracts and pushes away for the whole of the time. This is what the album does per song and within each song. Beauty was not the foremost thing on the four musicians' mind. To create some huge effects was and the band fully succeeded on this score. As I already said, Pirouette is a musical trip and one I am glad I've been on. And, yes, to my big surprise.

Wout de Natris - van der Borght

 

You can listen to and order Pirouette here:

https://modelactriz.bandcamp.com/album/pirouette