Before Today, one of the most polarizing albums to be released in 2010, is also one of the most stubborn. But to be honest, I wasn't familiar with the Ariel Pink discography, at all, before hearing Before Today. So I really didn't know what to expect, or not to expect. And upon first listen, the album didn't strike me as I thought it might, or maybe even should have. Only after repeated listens did the nuances and the ambivalent musical path that these songs purposefully took really began to sink in and affect me the way that they had clearly affected so many others. Not to jump on I-Love-Ariel-Pink-now-too bandwagon but this album was low-key in a way that had nothing to with the fidelity of the sound, although the difference (I've since listened to past Ariel Pink albums) is considerable with regards to his back catalogue. But this progression in technique, is not a progression as an artist, as such. It seems more due to the fact that he has been given complete autonomy in creating this album. Even the backing band feels less like a backing band (and it isn't just a backing band) and becomes as instrumental in the development of each of these songs as the lead man himself. Some of these songs have already been heard in grittier demo-esque versions on different releases, and while the inclusion of these songs reduxed may seem like an easy fill, the song choices and the refined detail given each cut allow the raw notes of those songs to mature and fill the album with substance and a casual sincerity that feels lacking in much of indie music. While still relishing in his outsider-avant status, Ariel Pink has released an album that uses indie rock mainstays and a bedroom popper mentality to connect his childhood love of 70's and 80's pop to the modern day do-it-yourself aesthetic. It's a hell of a record.
Tracklisting:
01. Hot Body Rub
02. Bright Lit Blue Skies
03. L’estat
04. Friday Night (Nevermore)
05. Round and Round (listen to the mp3 below)
06. Beverly Kills
07. Butt-House Blondies
08. Little Wig
09. Can’t Hear My Eyes
10. Reminiscences
11. Menopause Man
12. Revolution’s a Lie
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