Pity Sex had to put out a great full length. There are a lot of bands doing this post-punk/shoegaze influenced thing right now, and to stand out in that field is a feat in and of itself. Pity Sex was able to do that here. They proved they had the chops to do it on the Dark World EP last year. Feast Of Love only pushes that further. They were able to build on that, and refine it further. The final product is really a treat to listen to.
Something has clicked on this record. It manages to play in the effect laden and heavily distorted stuff without getting lost in it. There are still great pop moments. It never gets as dense as some shoegaze bands typically do. It walks the line between the two worlds well. On the previous EP there was a disconnect between the songs Brennan Greaves sang lead on versus the songs Britty Drake sang lead on. That is no longer the case on this record. Everything feels more cohesive. The band sounding more unified really makes this record work.
But, while on the subject of the dual vocals, I really wish there was more interplay. That is my only issue. They only really share one song (“Drown Me Out”), save for a few choruses or whatever here and there. Even on that song it is just splitting up the verses. They fully utilize everything else. The dual guitars, though heavily distorted for the most part, are able to work together to create an interesting sound. The strong rhythm section is able to shine through and play a great part. The vocals sound great, but it feels like they are missing something.
But, that said, this is still a great record. It can jump around to various styles and genres without getting disjointed. There is some great 90’s alternative influence on songs like “Keep,” which gets as close to The Breeders territory as anything I’ve heard in awhile. There is the kind of indie/punk style showing on “Honey Pot.” There is some clean, shimmery guitar work on “Hollow Body.” While jumping around too much can lead to an unfocused record, they are able to keep it reigned in enough. It all works together. There really is a little bit here for everyone. You can call this indie rock, post-punk, dream pop, shoegaze, or really any other genre name you want. It does a disservice to say it is only one or the other though. It’s a record that showcases and melds many things together, but never sounds disjointed. That’s really the best thing about it.
Team Reasonable 