Pinhdar - 2024 - A Sparkle on the Dark Water

(48:09; Fruits de Mer Records)






















Singer Cecilia Miradoli and guitarist/producer Max Tarenzi formed Pinhdar in Milan in 2019, but they had been working together for years prior to that in the rock band Nomoredolls. Fruits de Mer released their debut in 2021 and now they are back with the follow-up as they move through trip hop, dark wave and particularly dream pop. I was not surprised to see they spent time collaborating with Bruno Ellingham (Massive Attack, Unkle, Portishead, Everything But the Girl, New Order) as all of those bands have had an influence on this album. Here we have an album which really could move in many different directions and if the electro beat was removed then we would be talking about something else entirely, yet the focus is always on Cecilia’s vocals and the atmosphere being created by Max.

In many ways I hear a lot of French For Rabbits in this, but whereas they approach the dreampop scene from more of a folk leaning this is much more in electro dance with plenty of depth and a way of taking the listener deep inside what is taking place. There are indisputably some influences being brought in which I would not normally listen to (for example, regarding Ellingham’s list I have owned some New Order in the past but nothing by any of the other bands), yet there is something strangely compelling about this. At times there is a real vulnerability in the vocals, such as in the introduction of “Murderers of a Dying God”, while the picking of the guitar is designed to provide an additional backdrop for them to be placed against. For me one of the indicators of a really good album is where it takes me away from the genres I normally listen to and has me questioning my own likes and dislikes, as while this is not something I would have normally chosen to have listened to (apart from the fact that Keith at FdeM has impeccable taste and I always review everything he sends me as it is virtually always essential) there is no doubt this has something I have really enjoyed. Does the beat annoy me? Yes, of course it does, but I can also understand and appreciate how         it is important within their overall sound.

I can see this is a band I will need to keep an ear out for, especially if they open up some new genres for me to listen to, as I have more than enough to keep me busy already! Worth hearing.

Kev Rowland, January 2025

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

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