The catchy Motown vibe of The Pinstripe Pigeon Band‘s music drew me in as the distinct musical elements held my attention. My first listen I was expecting a simple upbeat electronic pop tune and was pleasantly surprised as the musical layers continued to build into an intricate instrumental accompaniment, supporting and complimenting the vocals.
The Pinstripe Pigeon Band describes its style as intelligent sophisti-pop, electronica, funkadelia, and anthemic rock. The 6-member band has two keyboard players, creating depth and instrumental variety to their engaging rifts. The soulful vocalist has a strong passionate voice that matches and compliments the accompaniment. The Pinstripe Pigeon Band’s sound has a captivating energy.
The UK band consists of Ben (guitar), Gareth (keys), Kirsty (vocals), Dave (bass), Andrew (synths), and Joe (drums). The band began as a studio project, producing five well-received EPs in 2013/14 (available on Bandcamp), and then gained media attention with their live shows around the UK. “The energised live show is characterised by rousing intent, hitting a resonant chord with each new audience.”
Beyond the stellar musical quality, the songs contain poetic lyrics. “The lyrics lovingly articulate personal experiences while finding humour in political and social despair.” Ben took the time to explain some of the songs to me.
“’Never Be Apart’ is about people who stay in bad relationship because they’d rather be unhappy than alone. It’s also about the emotional blackmail people use to keep others in relationships they shouldn’t be in. ‘No Enemies’ is basically about ignorant bliss. As you get older you go down the path of least resistance because it makes day to day life easier. But is that a good thing? The indignance you feel when you’re young is useful and powerful. If you lose it do you just become useless and powerless?”
The band also writes about the artist dilemma. “’You Bring Reaction’ is about exploiting your own life experiences to create art and questioning whether that cheapens the original experience in your own mind. ‘For the price of heart ache I can write a song.’”
The ending ballad “I Sleep Cos It’s Easy” showcases a softer melodic side to the Pinstripe Pigeon Band. The arpeggiating piano and smooth vocals compose a melancholy lullaby. Peeling back the percussive layers truly allows Kristy’s voice to demonstrate both tenderness and powerfulness with true musicianship. I love the variety between each track, showing that the Pinstripe Pigeon Band is capable of musical variety.
You can connect with the Pinstripe Pigeon Band on Bandcamp, Facebook, Twitter, Soundcloud, and YouTube.
