Ariel Pink - "Dedicated to Bobby Jameson"

Ariel Pink since the early 2000's has been completely taking over the weirdest corners of the Indie Pop world.  For years, I've been obsessed with his eccentric song topics and performances.  However, I'm not really into his early years at all.  2004's "The Doldrums", which he recorded with his band Haunted Graffiti is really a bizarre album. I'm all for Low-Fi Indie Pop, but this album was almost completely directionless.  Not to mention, it was over an hour long.  Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti up next released 2002's "Scared Famous".  Now, this album while it was FAR from perfect, as a matter of fact, it's still a damn mess.  But it was noticeably a whole lot more concrete than its predecessor.  Ariel was starting to craft some seriously sharp pop tunes like "Politely Declined" and "Girl In a Tree".  However, this album stylistically was a mess, even by Low-Fi standards.  In 2006, Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti released "House Arrest", which for the most part had all the same problems.  Tracks like "Interesting Results" showed just how gifted Ariel was, and how much he deeply appreciated Pop Music.  But too many tracks on here didn't even come off as experimental, they were just sort of annoying.  Ariel continued on making underground records for quite some time.  And while I wasn't 100% into them, I have to say this, Ariel knew a thing or two about pop music. He easily could write a hook and make catchy tunes, and I couldn't wait to hear what he could do when he sat down and made that big major record label debut.  Well, Ariel did just that in 2010 with Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti's "Before Today".  I'd swear someone clicked on an "On" switch somewhere in Ariel's brain because this album was near perfect.  From the 60's pop-inspired "Bright Lit Blue Skies", the jazzy "Can't Hear My Eyes", and the surprisingly crunchy "Butt-House Blondies" this album was just as eccentric and wild as Ariel is.  Ariel just seemed so comfortable in a full recording studio, and hearing his wild and quirky pop songs come to beautiful life was absolutely stunning.  Not to mention, "Round And Round" is easily one of the most epic pop tunes of the 2010's.  2 Years later in 2012, Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti released "Mature Themes".  Now, this album is really polarizing for me.  For one, this album has character and lots of it.  Tracks like "Farewell American Primitive" and "Symphony Of The Nymph" were absolutely hilarious while staying fairly catchy and eclectic.  However, I feel like Ariel was a little less focused in some of the album's lesser moments like "Driftwood" and "Pink Slime".  For his next album, "Pom Pom", Ariel outdid himself.  This album was the quirky, funny and expansive for Ariel.  But most importantly, everything that I always admired about him to some extent was on display.  The clever songwriting, the outlandish concepts, the playful personality were all present.  "Pom Pom" is one hell of an album.  Ariel's back with his first material in a few years.  And to be honest, I'm stunned at how this guy keeps evolving.  Let's talk about this album, shall we?  

(One of the most magnificent Indie Pop tunes of the decade)

This album starts off with “Time to Meet Your God”, and it’s just the bizarre and quirky intro you would come to expect from Ariel.  I mean, have you honestly ever heard a more upbeat and strangely positive track dealing with this subject matter?  Probably not in a very long time.  But I love how off-kilter and surreal this one ends up coming off, especially when the much darker and stranger lyrics pop in.  As far as instrumentals go, this is certainly right up Ariel’s alley.  It’s breezy, with tons of retro synths and a hazy atmosphere that’s so fluffy that you don’t even want to break through it.  But Ariel as always is the great ringleader.  He sounds constantly in control of this almost circus of experimental pop.  “Time To Meet Your God” is an eye-opening intro.  Ariel quickly get’s into the much smoother side of things with “Feels Like Heaven”.  This one almost has a late 80’s Alternative feel to it.  In a way, this almost has a Low-Key Smiths vibe to it.  But “Feels Like Heaven” ends up being another example of what makes Ariel such an artist.  He has the ability to go from a completely twisted intro to a track like “Feels Like Heaven” which is a totally sweet and lovable Pop ballad.  It’s sweet and tender and reminds us that Ariel Pink at the end of the day is still human.  Instrumentally, I love the very retro tinge to this, which honestly I can’t really see Ariel without.  But this one overall is just such a fantastic Pop tune.  Its tracks like this that really make Ariel Pink more than just an outsider, but a Superstar.  Even those backing vocals just add such a dreamy vibe to this that I seriously can’t say no.  Up next is “Death Patrol” which is this sort of awkward sounding funk track that’s really hard to grasp honestly.  But it’s certainly smooth in Arie’s sort of bizarre way.  Of all of the tracks here though, this one really doesn’t hit me as hard.  In a way, this sort of feels like some of the later sound collages on his last album “Pom Pom”.  But the songwriting on “Death Patrol” really keeps me from slobbering over this one as I would love to.  It just doesn’t sound like Ariel is nearly as focused as he usually is.  On the other hand, I do sort of like the strange Disco vibes that are haunting this one in the background as Ariel hums.  I wish I could dig this more because I do like the thought of a funkier direction.  Plus, some of these ad-libs are seriously hilarious.  Up next we have “Santa’s In The Closet”, which instantly has so much more structure to it.  I love Ariel’s very freakish and more ridiculous than ever performance.  He’s always seemed to be on the brink of insanity, but his gibberish here and ghoulish delivery just makes this really hit me hard.  It’s moments like this that really give you a reality check if you ever get too comfortable with an Ariel Pink album.  Not to mention, the lyrics that DO register are some of Ariel’s most out there yet.  If you’re new to Ariel Pink, “Santa’s In The Closet” is really going to be a rude awakening for you.  But if you know Ariel’s very freakish past, this one will hit home with you.  Ariel Pink, however, loves to keep us on our toes.  Up next he breaks out a Straightforward Psych Pop anthem in the form of “Dedicated to Bobby Jameson”.  And I really do have to stress the word “Anthem”, because you’re going to be humming this.  The chorus here is just so endearing and explosive, and little details like those backing “Hey!”’s add just enough to make this one really explode.  It’s smooth, it’s quirky, and it’s still completely otherworldly sounding.  To be honest, I have no idea what most of this has to do with Bobby Jameson.  But if his life and death inspired Ariel this much to pull out tracks like this, it must have been huge.  Also, the keyboards here are seemingly ripped right out of a long forgotten Doors jam, and the haziness continues to give this a very dreamy vibe.  All of these years that Ariel spent as an outsider, I get the feeling that THIS is the sound he was going for.  And while it’s taken him years to get here, it’s great to hear.  

    By the time we get to “Time To Live”, it’s clear that Ariel is prepared to throw anything at us.  This track is the closest thing to one of the sound collages we got from Ariel on his last album.  But I can already tell you that I dig this easily more than any of the collages on there.  I love just how heavy the synths are coming off and how muscular they sound.  This is Ariel Pink at his hardest to decipher and his strangest, even thought for the most part this still comes off pretty straightforward.  “Time To Live” tramples on defiantly, with too many strange sound effects to count and keep track of.  And as far as that goes, it’s all just alright.  This track however did NOT need to be 6 minutes long.  Because around the 4 minute mark, it’s clear that Ariel is really trying to stretch this one out.  It’s alright though, and for a much longer track that goes into highly experimental territory this is far from bad.  But out of nowhere Ariel pulls out “Another Weekend”, which brings the mood down harshly.  This track is so somber and depressing.  Ariel here sounds so much older, so beaten down, and oddly enough this track ends up having a waltz feel to it.  But there are certainly still plenty of Psychedelic elements to this that brings this back to Ariel’s level.  Oddly enough, “Another Weekend” remains very playful.  But overall, this track serves as a great reminder of what makes Ariel Pink so interesting.  The moods and genres he touches are constantly shifting and have a personality of their own.  “Another Weekend” is absolutely stunning.  So no, this album overall isn’t as hilarious and bouncy as “Pom Pom”, but this album is equally as important for Ariel as an artist.  But just as done as I’m saying that, Ariel reminds us just how vibrant and bouncy he can be with “I Wanna Be Young”.  However, I think the main story here continues to be just how personal and sorrowful some of these lyrics are deep down.  And yes, while this in Ariel’s own sick way this continues to be almost like a sort of Radio Jingle, this is easily some of his most human material in years.  Ariel is also addicted to those very 80’s sounding synths, but I don’t think his music would be the same without it.  Just when I feel like Ariel has thrown us all of his left hooks, he drops “Bubblegum Dreams”.  This track is a sunny, sweet and insanely catchy tune that once again in a weird way comes off like a sort of Jingle.  This track ends up making concrete what I’ve thought about Ariel for quite some time though.  Ariel Pink has a serious knack for writing unbearable catchy, honest to God Pop Anthems.  The bouncy atmosphere, the innocent lyrics, the acoustic breakdown and the sound effects make “Bubblegum Dreams” probably the most infectious track here.  And don’t even get me started on those backing vocals which literally turn this track from a Psych Pop jam to a damn Mentos commercial.  In the very best way of course.  In a weird way, I’d love to hear Ariel just do an album of jingles for Stuff, because it’s in this atmosphere that his tunes stick with you most. “Dreamdate Narcissist” continues in the upbeat side of things.  But on this one Ariel brings in a really bizarre Campy Horror vibe.  Hell, it goes as far as to come off as a track that probably could have been used as a Scooby Too theme song.  Ariel once again shows that when it comes to pop, he really knows what he’s talking about.  I have to continue to warn people though.  This album, while it is fantastic, isn’t nearly as meticulous and detailed as his work on “Pom Pom”, and it’s certainly a little more rough around the edges.  But I love the bizarre synths, as well as Ariels constantly shifting performance.  

    By the time ‘Kitchen Witch” rolls around, these breezy synths and cloudy production have gotten so damn intoxicating.  Not to mention, these are easily some of Ariel’s sweetest and most tender vocals.  This album as a whole has been such a different animal for Ariel.  But sonically, it remains just so damn interesting and detailed.  While “Kitchen Witch” as a whole isn’t as memorable as other tracks here, it remains another solid Ariel Pink tune at its core.  It’s also really interesting to see just how much of an impact Bobby Jameson had on Ariel to cause him to write such a varied album.  Sadly though, “Do Yourself a Favor” comes off a little awkward for me.  I feel like this is just one of his early, more freakish recordings brought up to speed with his more recent sounding production.  I mean, I like a lot of the lyrical moments on this a lot actually, and I love the somber tone.  But “Do Yourself a Favor” sort of sticks out on an album dedicated to one sound.  However, I will give this track one thing.  It’s lyrically one of the most tender moments here, and it’s really necessary for what Ariel was doing with this album.  I wish I could dig this track more, but this downtrodden Psych Folk just really isn't as flattering as it could have been. This album finishes with “Acting”, featuring Dam-Funk.  And oh man, I just really wish this album had more of a concrete finale.  This track is absolutely funky, and I certainly was interested in hearing Dam-Funk with Ariel since they both have such huge personalities.  So much of this track really seems so phoned in for Ariel.  I feel like this isn't the interesting pairing that it could have been, and more than anything it’s just these two quite frankly fucking around in the studio.  Honestly, “Acting” sort of just ends up giving me really awful flashbacks to the early days of Ariel Pink where nothing was complete.  However, I do still like some of the elements here, like that auto-tune that Ariel should probably explore a little more in the future. 

Rating: 8.6/10

Give A Listen To: "Feels Like Heaven", "Dedicated to Bobby Jameson", "Another Weekend”, “Bubblegum Dreams”

Genre: Psychedelic Pop / Experimental Pop / Low-Fi 

If You Dig This, Check Out: Ariel Pink & Weyes Blood - "Myths 002 - EP", Deerhunter - "Halcyon Digest", Ariel Pink - "Pom Pom"

Overall Thoughts:  Overall, this is just another truly freakish and expansive album from one of Pop's most dangerous minds.  Ariel Pink remains after all of these years, completely fearless to take on any sound.  However, this time around he is a little more focused.  Bobby Jameson was a serious influence on Ariel, and you can tell that from the sheer amount of sincere and tender moments here.  The result, is one of Ariel's more down to earth recordings.  While there aren't as many truly hilarious tracks as one his past works, there are still plenty of Off The Wall concepts and plenty of personality to go around.