The Big Pink is My New Therapy

Why I thought a Sunday night would be appropriate for a viewing of the mind-liquifyingly horrifying House of the Devil, I have no idea, especially considering I hate scary movies. Alas, I found myself hunkered down in the Angelika Theater mentally preparing for what was sure to be almost two hours of sheer terror. And it was, OK? I cowered. I covered my eyes. I jumped. I shrieked. I nearly wept. But I don’t want to talk about it, alright? Because if I talk about it I...look, I’M NOT GOING TO TALK ABOUT IT!

But, what I am going to talk about is The Big Pink. What I love about the Angelika Theater is their dedication not only to little-engine-that-could movies, but also indie music that deserves to be heard. Before previews start they’re always running those fun trivia/factoid reels with featured music playing on top. On Sunday night, one of those featured bands was The Big Pink. The playlist had to loop through a couple of times before I started to take notice of their single, “Dominoes,” that was playing amid other tracks. I jotted down their name in my moleskin and, later that night, looking for something—anything—to ease my mind after what I’d just watched, I downloaded their debut album, A Brief History of Love, which dropped back in September. I owe my post-House of the Devil-sanity in part to British duo Robbie Furze and Milo Cordell for creating so cohesive an album and sound that I was able to fully get lost in it, momentarily forgetting that not half an hour prior I’d seen a deformed satanic old lady bleeding from her eyes.

Beyond the unstoppably catchy “Dominoes” is a collection of songs that reminds me of Animal Collective—distorted noise, synthetic riffs, doctored voices—only better, more focused with the right kind of intention of heavy beats, consistent tempos, and hooks I can actually get behind. “Crystal Visions” starts things off beautifully and “Velvet” kicks in mid-album just when you need it. Two days later and I’ve still got ABHOL on repeat, definitely for the sound…but also just to maybe get me back to that place before I’d seen House of the Devil.

—Seth Plattner, Assistant Editor

via ELLE.com