Pinhdar - 2024 - A Sparkle on the Dark Water

(48:09; Fruits de Mer Records)

Track list:
1. In the Woods 5:01
2. Cold River 4:26
3. Home 4:00
4. Little Light 4:26
5. Murderers of a Dying God 6:11
6. Humans 4:52
7. Solanin 5:23
8. Frozen Roses 4:21
9. Abysses 5:12
10. At the Gates of Dawn 4:17

Line-up:
Cecilia Miradoli - vocals
Max Tarenzi - instruments


Prolusion.
Italian band Pinhdar has been around ever since 2014, with their first foray into the world of recording artists taking place in 2019. Since then a further two albums have seen the light of day from this band. The most recent of these was released in late March of 2024. This album is called "A Sparkle on the Dark Water", and was released through UK label Fruits de Mer Records.

Analysis.
Strictly speaking, this isn't a band that have any strong or direct ties to progressive rock as such. This is an album that comes with a liberal array of psychedelic rock details though, but that being said these are more subservient elements rather than defining and dominant features of this album experience too. But, on the other hand, the landscapes explored by this band on this album do come with a bit more of an undefinable nature that by default at least will make this material interesting for many fans of progressive rock. Hence why this album is given coverage by the progressor website.

The mood and atmospheres explored on this production are the starts of the show here, so to speak. Dark and dystopian are key words here, with otherworldly and to some extent futuristic being other words that should give you an impression of what this album has to offer.

In terms of the music itself, you can easily hear the influx of elements from both new wave and post-punk, while the overall style classification arguably is closer to dream pop than anything else. That a liberal array of electronic effects are in use and some direct as well as indirect trip hop references and inclusions is a part of the total picture certainly merits a mention too, and some inspiration and a little bit of an inclusive spirit towards both psychedelic rock and progressive rock elements can be noted too. With a little bit of noise rock tossed in for good measure.

We have songs that brings forth the melancholic spirit of a-ha and bands of a similar note here, other creations comes across as a dark and slightly more twisted variety of the pop music crafted by an artist like Bertine Zetlitz, while other songs possibly wouldn't have been too much out of place on an early Porcupine Tree album in terms of mood and atmosphere. And while vastly different on just about all levels, I did find myself thinking about Kate Bush on a couple of occasions here too, and on this occasion for the sheer emotional impact of the vocals rather than any strict similarities in vocal style or the specific style of the music. To some extent one can say that both Pinhdar and Kate Bush explore a dream pop oriented type of music of course, with the latter perhaps representing innocent and melancholic longing and the former a longing towards and an acceptance of the beauty one might find in a generally darker world.

With some excellent work in the studio department, this is an album that impress on a number of different levels. If it is acceptable as progressive rock is another case entirely, but that this is a production that will have an appeal among progressive rock fans is a matter I'm fairly certain about.

Conclusion.
Bands that create music that is of a more undefinable nature are always interesting to encounter. While Pinhdar probably fits best inside of a dream pop context, the dark and bleak but still beautiful landscapes they explore does bring something a bit different to this particular table. The inclusion of elements from multiple styles of music, with both psychedelic and progressive rock among them, is but one of many details that makes this album a very interesting one indeed. If mainly non-dramatic and strongly atmospheric laden music that explore, treasure and worship the beauty of darkness sounds like your kind of music, this is an album that merits an inspection.

Olav "Progmessor" Björnsen, March 2024

Links:
https://www.facebook.com/Pinhdar/
https://www.fruitsdemerrecords.com/