SOMEONE HERE IS MISSING

The Pineapple Thief, initially a vehicle for main man Bruce Soord's solo work, have been going as a band proper since around 2002 (or around 3000 days, more of which later) and have released a number of fine albums leading to this, their most compelling work to date, literally hot offf the presses! Comparisons have been made to Radiohead, but luckily they lack that band's tendency to stray into pretentiousness. Even on TPT's longer songs the basic song-writing craft is never far from the surface. You can't ever imagine TPT doing an avant jazz album without actually knowing how to play jazz for starters.

Bruce's lyrical themes are similar in a way to Thom Yorke's - there's a lot of regret, obsession, and a sprinkling of paranoia, and if you're not one for melancholic lyrics don't be put off, as the music is often of an epic scale and lifts the whole thing to another level.

This great album kicks off with Nothing At Best - welcome to the pulsebeat - it rocks! This is one of the three standout tracks for me, and should be played at neigbour annoying levels! The next track has an almost glam-like feel to it in places, and builds to a suitably intense climax. The most satisfying track for me at the mo', given that I've only played the cd a few times so far, is Preparation For Meltdown, an epic of great electronica programming with a very noisy scratchy guitar chaos ending. Lovely. Barely Breathing - Lighters aloft for a slower acoustic led number following the noise fest of the previous number. Show A Little Love is an epic song of love and regret and storms along. Another immediate favourite is 3000 Days, which is also the title of their must have career spanning compilation of a few months ago. This song is an epically (that word again) constructed stadium sized anthem, to the point where around two minutes from the end an almost Zep like riff crashes in. The neighbours are hammering on the walls by now. The closer, So We Row (as in boat, not argument) is a slow burner and a good ending.

Now for some theorising. Throughout the album their are lyrical pointers that seem to suggest that Bruce Soord has, after over ten years of releasing music, come to a point where he might be feeling he's had enough. Lines like "And is. Is no-one listening" (title track), "I've been running around in circles, running into the ground.....We've barely found the time to waste our precious lives" (3000 Days) "I want to say how much I need just a break" (So We Row) suggest to me this is a man who's worn out trying.

I sincerely hope I'm wrong, and possibly a little paranoid. It would be a crying shame if this great band did not find the success they sorely deserve, especially when there's bland rubbish like Coldplay, etc out there dominating festivals and making the big buck.

BUY THIS ALBUM NOW!!!!

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