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AIDING & ABETTING
AUGUST 2003
"The description of this
disc on the label's web site is "a very
nice listen for those who want a little
more from their CD player." Damn. I wish
I'd written that. That's really damned
good. Pistol for Ringo plays pop music.
Pop music with all sorts of electronic
noises infused and plenty of weird musical
lines trailing. Note that I didn't call
this power pop. This band prefers the deft
aside to the bludgeon. The sound is full,
but with plenty of space in-between the
instruments. The band refuses to play the
same song twice (or, perhaps more
explicitly, play the same style twice),
but this vaguely sterile sound really
brings out the complexity of the
songwriting."A little more," indeed.
Pistol for Ringo doesn't dumb down for the
masses. Instead, it commands respect by
sticking to its guns and making
aggressively interesting music.
Precisely what I like to hear."
-
Jon Worley
ALL MUSIC GUIDE
2003
Solid
State Neo-Hedonist is one of those
rare indie debut releases that sounds like
anything but a debut, and anything but an
indie release. Pistol for Ringo display a
propensity for the sophisticated both in
lyrics and production, eschewing the
obvious while still working within
commercial pop/rock structures. The impact
can take a while to set in, as on the
opener, "Nothing Equates to a Saturday,"
whose labyrinthine lyrics include the
album's peculiar title. Indeed, frequently
the album reads almost like a postmodern
novel, chief songwriter Brian Murphy
offering lines like "What if we
acknowledged the sources of our torment?"
on the strong rock cut "Masochistic."
Those words are married to immediate
riffs, tasteful drum loops, and liberal
sprinkles of electronic icing, resulting
in a sound familiar yet unique, Steve
Arm's accompanying vocals being
garden-variety but up to the task. The
unusually lighthearted "Complicated" and
the vivid "Hero" stand out as particularly
fine tracks, with only "I Am the Fly"
approaching misstep territory. A cluster
of brief segues exist merely as
self-indulgences that add to neither the
flow nor the meaning of the record, though
with them, Pistol for Ringo seem to desire
a unifying concept on it. Solid State
Neo-Hedonist is no concept album, but
the band demonstrates an ambition in its
creation that suggests their potential for
making an unreservedly great dream
pop/rock album.-- Joseph
McCombs
SPLENDID E-ZINE
2003
Named
for an obscure spaghetti western, Pistol
For Ringo specialize in synth- and
guitar-driven pop with more than a little
'80s flavor. The characteristic that
separates them from the other bands
currently mining this era for inspiration
is their emphasis on texture and spacy
soundscapes, as opposed to more
dance-friendly fare. Layers of
effects-drenched guitar and keyboard
provide a suitable foundation for
guitarist/vocalist Steve Arm's
performance; his high-pitched voice is
extremely emotive (occasionally bordering
on overwrought), and he achieves memorable
hooks without relying on over-the-top
harmonies. That's not to say that the
album is devoid of any well-laid vocal
arrangements; female guest vocalists
appear on a couple of tracks, adding depth
and body to the vocal department.
The
album opens with "Nothing Equates to a
Saturday", a song with definite single
potential. Its lead-off guitar riff is
instantly memorable, and the soaring
chorus provides a great contrast to the
laid-back verses. "Watch Me Waste My Time"
is a much more spartan, spacy affair in
which the synth plays a bigger role; it's
also one of a few tracks in which a Bowie
influence creeps into the mix. "Levitate",
another highlight, rivals the opener in
the super-catchy-chorus stakes, and boasts
a simple but very effective synth figure.
Most of these songs are book-ended by
strange spoken-word samples, which create
interesting segues between tracks and add
to the dream-like feel the band is
striving for. Pistol For Ringo does not
feature a drummer proper; instead, they
rely upon programmed drums to give their
songs a backbone. This works better than
you'd expect -- a certain amount of
"artificiality" is inevitable, but
forgivable given their synth-pop-inspired
aesthetic. Indeed, if not for the layered
guitars, you might mistake Solid State
Neo-Hedonist for a twenty year-old album
-- not necessarily an enduring classic,
but certainly a solid entry in the genre.
- Garrett Splain
SCORE MAGAZINE
2003
Initial
Impression: I appreciate their honesty.
Aside from admitting that they're not
"reinventing the wheel", the first track
dubs in the phrase "I just want to tell
you, if you don't get it, that's cool." --
That's cool! I was immediately concerned
when I read that the band is
"drummerless", not being a big fan of drum
machines. Pistol for Ringo gets their beat
from a drum kit which, as painful as it is
for me to admit, its use here is
sufficient *she cringes*. There are high
doses of synthesizer to carry you along
without sounding like modern techno. Think
Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark (you
know, John Huges era "If You Leave") with
a Bowie vibe. The band seems to have been
put together based on what each could
bring to the table, not talent-wise, but
business-wise (one member owns the label,
another member's brother owns the studio,
one could run the recording counsel - you
get the idea). But don't be afraid -- they
don't suck, I promise! The stuff is really
pretty good. If you're a fan of old school
synth (Devo, Gary Numan and the like)
you'll dig this. Plus the integrated sound
bytes are pretty fun! -Kimmie
SOULSHINE Canada
2003
Taking
their inspiration for a band name from
great anti-heroes named Ringo they are not
as matter-of-fact as they appear. This is
an LA band that makes a great rock album
and adds to it a flair for mixing and
combing through great pastures of quoted
knowledge as they give rock a load of
intellect that's been a long time coming.
"Masochistic" and "Levitate" stand out
just to make you feel good, "Noir Du
Monde" vibrates with Pistols' exceptional
use of art culture and musical know-how;
this is a band that will make you think as
you tap your dash on the ride home.
-Lindsay Bloemink
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