Music Reviews

“pain”

Pain

Full Speed Ahead

Vegas

Pain is a horribly catchy eight-piece music group with a horn section, a goofy and uplifting and dashing concoction that sounds something like a twisted relative of They Might Be Giants. Punchy and rhythmic in something of a non-stop energetic flow of musical excitement, Full Speed Ahead , their fourth release, flaunts yet another collection of overly clever songs sung with an air of dorky confidence. Truly a stupendous feat, the ingeniously original lyrics are presented in such a fashion that they’re catchier and more sing-a-long friendly than a preschool nursery rhyme, all the while still maintaining the jocund maturity of a well-crafted pop song.

The musical backbone that is Pain is more like a steady stream of light-hearted pop/pop-punk with distorted guitar, piano and brass interjections, but the songs play like feel-good jingles for anything from rocket ships to the Argonauts. Stories and ruminations stream out of the wonderful fourteen tracks on Full Speed Ahead , all latching themselves onto your brain like a broken record that magically becomes more engaging with each revolution.

Pain is like a shining beacon of sweet candy for the ear, paving the road with a sound so distinctly theirs but utterly familiar and user-friendly. Simple yet intricate, Full Speed Ahead is a brilliant drive-your-car-fast, raise-your-glass and sing-a-long album filled with pure fun energy and a brush of intelligence. And it’s worth every penny.

Vegas Records, P.O. Box 2175, Newport Beach, CA 92659


Recently on Ink 19...

Dark Water

Dark Water

Screen Reviews

J-Horror classic Dark Water (2002) makes the skin crawl with an unease that lasts long after the film is over. Phil Bailey reviews the new Arrow Video release.

The Shootist

The Shootist

Screen Reviews

John Wayne’s final movie sees the cowboy actor go out on a high note, in The Shootist, one of his best performances.