For the first time in a while,
The Pink Album
presents
Unloved
's music free from connections to any television shows or movies -- except the imaginary ones their songs suggest so richly. An unapologetically indulgent double album with plenty of guest stars, the trio's third full-length examines love from every angle. "How good it feels, how bad it hurts," as
Jade Vincent
sighs on "There's No Way," and just how terrifying it can be. If
was a film, it would probably be a horror movie: shrouded in gauzy reverb, "I Don't Like You Anymore" falls somewhere between a breakup and a seance, while "Foolin'" adds a dose of camp with its creature-feature organ riff. Later,
Vincent
sounds truly haunted on "Walk On, Yeah," the kind of apocalyptic torch song
pulls off better than just about anyone. As expected from a group with two award-winning composers (
Keefus Ciancia
and
David Holmes
), the trio boasts an encyclopedic knowledge of pop music. The way
use this knowledge remains stunning, whether they leave behind their fondness for retro sounds on the swirling strings and electronics on opening track "Rainbrose" or subvert nostalgia for their own purposes with the
Suicide
-meets-
Shangri-La's
thrill ride of "Girl Can't Help It" or the shuffling glam rock beat underpinning "Mother's Been a Bad Girl." Driven by a whip-cracking beat, "Sorry, Baby"'s sexy electro is a standout, as is the lush, unguarded ballad "Ever," and "Number in My Phone," a piece of tear-stained
Bacharach
pop updated for the cell phone age. "Love Experiment," a duet with
Étienne Daho
where
channels
Julie London
over synth frissons teetering between fear and ecstasy, is intriguing, and the way
Jon Spencer
's howls fade into the background as
gives him the kiss-off on "Call Me When You Have a Clue" flips expectations cleverly.
bring in
Jarvis Cocker
for "Accountable," which gives the work of
Lee Hazlewood
Nancy Sinatra
a murderous twist, and reunite with
Raven Violet
, with whom they worked on the 2020 single "Strange Effect," on the sullen synth pop of "Turn of the Screw," all of which find
pushing pop's boundaries with vivid results. ~ Heather Phares