The names Jade Vincent, Keefus Ciancia, and David Holmes are synonymous with creating dense, atmospheric music. Together they go under the name Unloved. The music they create is as expected, yet it also has a poppy mainstream edge that separates them from their peers. The group was effectively formed in LA’s Rotary Room where Ciancia and Vincent had a night where anything went. Every Tuesday was a space where musicians could experiment and collaborate and let rip. Holmes was invited first to DJ, then to curate night after night. These shows lead to the trio forming Unloved and releasing their debut album ‘Guilty Of Love’ in 2016. Despite their busy solo schedules this was followed up by 2019’s ‘Heartbreak’. Now they have returned with a monster of an album (both in sound and scale) ‘The Pink Album’. It is the most ambitious album the trio have released to date. Sonically it builds on their previous two albums but everything has been pushed further and slightly harder.
Unsurprisingly ‘The Pink Album’ has a cinematic vibe to it. Ciancia and Holmes are both renowned and respected scorers of film and television, so this is to be expected. What is slightly unexpected is how poppy it feels in places. The sound they have created is nothing new. If I didn’t know I could have thought this was a new UNKLE album, but unlike James Lavelle’s project this is, well, more enjoyable and cohesive. One of the standout tracks is ‘Foolin’. It has a wonderful lopsided melody that allows Vincent to really give her vocals a workout. She never really gets above that sublime croon, but her vocals have more bite than we’ve previously heard.
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‘Mother’s Been A Bad Girl’ feels like classic David Holmes. There are nods to ‘Gritty Shaker’ there, but this is a far danker affair. Vincent’s drawl is glorious on this, pulling out syllables and elongating lines. Ciancia’s production is also spot on here, too – as it is throughout in all fairness. ‘Lucky’ is a massive nod to Ennio Morricone. Though it isn’t a pastiche. And this is what ‘The Pink Album’ does really well. Unloved wear their influences on their sleeves but they do so with respect rather than for cool points from diggers to tick off like an Eye Spy book.
‘WTC’ is a glorious romp through 60s psych bubble-gum pop, via electronica. It’s the poppiest thing on the album and is all the better for it. As well as Vincent on vocals, the album also features some guest spots. Jarvis Cocker, Étienne Daho, Raven Violet and Jon Spencer. These songs have the same bounce and emotional punch of the usual Unloved tracks, but these new vocals add a different texture. There is a thrill to hear Spencer on a track that is totally alien to the music is usually makes. It works so well. Daho appears on ‘Love Experiment’ and gives the track a slightly sleazy and seedy feel. His sparse, breathy, voice cuts through the cascading electronics. It could be the standout moment on the album but giving it some danger, missing on the rest of the album. Jarvis Cocker and Jade Vincent croon on ‘Accountable’ giving it a Lee Hazelwood vibe.
Shall we now discuss the elephant in the room? The length of ‘The Pink Album’. It is a whopping 90-minutes long and consists of 22 songs. While the songs, individually, are strong combined it can be a slog to get through. If you were going on road trip, or long journey, it would be awesome to press play and listen to in full. You’d get an awesome score to the countryside and urban sprawl that flashes past you. The problem I find is that the length is slightly off-putting. I know I would rather listen to a few shorter albums over the same period of time than one long album. Part of the problem is the lack of real variation to the music. It’s all in that same electronic dream-pop vibe. Yes, some tracks speed up, and slow down, the tempo but mostly it’s the same thing for track after track after track. This does give is uniformed listening experience but when faced with 90-minutes of the same thing it does drag in places.
That being said. There are plenty of tracks to engage with ‘Girl Can’t Help It’ is glorious. Vincent’s vocals are great and Ciancia and Holmes’ production is just flawless. It gels together so well that it is hard to find fault. Other than the album needs some trimming. A lot of trimming. Which is a shame as there is a fantastic album in there but navigating it can be overwhelming at times.
7/10
Words: Nick Roseblade
