Pity Sex – ‘White Hot Moon’

By Glen Bushell

While change is often as good as a rest for some bands, there are others who find a sound that works for them and stick with. Two polar opposite examples could be Sonic Youth and Dinosaur Jr. Both bands come from a similar scene, yet have a vastly different approach to writing. Sonic Youth would create an entirely new sound on each record, but you still knew who it was, whereas Dinosaur Jr. continue to make consistently great records, but rarely veer from THAT sound. Ann Arbor quartet, Pity Sex, fall somewhere in between the two of these iconic bands, but have more in common with the latter on their second album, ‘White Hot Moon’.

Much like their 2013 breakthrough album, ‘Feast Of Love’, you sort of know what to expect from ‘White Hot Moon’. Rather than take a leap into uncharted territory, Pity Sex have simply stuck to what they know. The melancholic, lovelorn lyrics that have been charming their audience are present and correct. Warm, fuzzy guitars, interspersed with saccharine breaks are still there, and the inviting dual vocal of Brennan Greaves and Britty Drake is as potent as ever.

What saves ‘White Hot Moon’ from being too predictable, is the song writing. If the infectious ‘Burden You’ didn’t have depth, or ‘Bonhomie’ wasn’t so perfectly crafted, it would make the album forgettable. Thankfully that isn’t the case here at all. It is probably the reason that Pity Sex decided to keep to their chosen path, because quite frankly, they are damn good at it.

In the past, Pity Sex have been mistakenly labelled as “shoegaze”, yet certain elements, such as tremolo picking, and white-washing simple chord progressions with reverb and delay, have been utilised in the best way. Their tight rhythm section provides a solid backbone for the bright melodies of ‘Orange and Red’, while dream-pop hooks shimmer underneath Drake’s hazy vocal, as she takes the lead on ‘Dandelion’.

While at no point does ‘White Hot Moon’ become a vehicle for raw urgency, or build into cascading walls of noise, it doesn’t really need to. The up tempo, driving riffs of ‘What Might Soothe You?’, and the bright power-pop of ‘Wappen Beggars’ provide enough dissonance in their own right.

With Pity Sex carrying on the tradition set by their previous releases, it leads to ‘White Hot Moon’ being immediate, and instantly engaging. Somewhat like meeting up with an old friend or lover for the first time in a few years; you know what they are like, you know their personality, and they have a familiar warmth. If you are already smitten with Pity Sex, then ‘White Hot Moon’ will only further your love for them.

GLEN BUSHELL

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