Manchester girl gang PINS return with the release of their third full-length album on very own record label Haus of Pins. Hot Slick features 10 tracks of strong, bold and empowering lyricism over neon synths and great riffs throughout. The now three piece band – of Faith Vern, Lois MacDonald and Kyoko Swan – have taken the reins of their fantasy kingdom with the continuation of their slick aesthetic, using a precise palette of primary colours to resemble their audacious attitude.
PINS’ music lives in the melodious space where soft rock meets pop and is finished with a sprinkling of electronica. The album commences with single ‘Hot Slick’, a catchy yet mean track with a driving arpeggiated synth bass line – pure Donna Summer vibes. It then follows suit channelling that same uplifting energy. However, the flow of the album dips to a trough halfway through as we get to ‘Daisies’ and it appears to sound like they’ve lost their edge on this track when reeling off the lyrics “so long, goodbye” in four drowsy syllables.
It’s clear in the background of their songs that they’re from Manchester. Their influences of New Order and LCD Soundsystem come in strong with glitchy drums and ominous bass lines, specifically in ‘Ghosting’ and ‘Ponytail’. There’s also a collaboration on the album with fellow Manchester artist Leather Party, the track elevates elements of rock to the forefront, as they belt out “I love you to death”. Escapism is the present denominator and PINS believe it to be one big fantasy.
Clearly, the band have adapted to their new surroundings since losing two members in 2017, they have refreshed their sound and utilised more drum machines and synth production techniques. Along with this comes great confidence from the trio and I feel it is only the beginning of a new era for PINS as they perfect their clever use of hardware.
Buy: Cargo Records
