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It wasn’t so long ago that I found myself wishing for a time machine—so I could travel back to a time when music was fun. I complained that so many new bands spent too much time whining and moaning about everything that’s wrong in the world and not enough time dancing and having a little bit of fun. I started to worry that I was losing touch—and, before long, I’d be sitting in a rocking chair on the front porch, shaking my fist at the neighbor kids and telling them to cut their hair.
Fortunately, though, it seems that someone heard my cry for help—because, despite the fact that life in general has gotten even more depressing in the last couple of years, the music has actually gotten more fun. Listening to the radio no longer puts me in a funk; instead, it puts a smile on my face. And I actually look forward to listening to new CDs—like Plushgun’s Pins & Panzers, an album that’s filled with bubbly beats and playful melodies that I can’t seem to get out of my head.
The Brooklyn indie popsters’ debut release opens with synthesized beats that sound strangely familiar—like the opening of an old Erasure album. The similarities are so striking, in fact, that, when I listen to it, I often find myself staring at my player for a few seconds, wondering how I managed to open an Erasure album by accident. But then the keyboards are joined by the light and sweet opening vocals, which gradually build into the easy-going, toe-tapping pop of the opening track, “Dancing in a Minefield.”
Though each song on the 10-track album has its merits, it doesn’t get much better than the infectious and upbeat “How We Roll,” an elated anthem for former high school geeks everywhere (“Hey cheerleaders / We’re superior / We’re only losers till we reach the end of senior year”) and the simple and breezy “Just Impolite.”
Pins & Panzers is an album full of playful, tech-savvy pop songs, giving fun-loving ‘80s synth a modern indie twist. At times (as on “The Dark in You”), it’s slightly atmospheric and almost moody—but never to the point that it feels heavy. Instead, no matter what the mood, it still manages to feel light and lively. It’s danceable and sing-along-able. And, yes, it’s fun.
So if you’ve been suffering from cabin fever as you wait for spring to arrive, this carefree, retro-modern-indie album is worth a listen. It’s sure to bring a little bit of sunshine to any cold and dreary day.
