Shocking Pinks: if that's not the name of an indiepop band then blow me over with a feather. The name immediately evokes images of Talulah Gosh-obsessed dreamers, which I love, and the Pinks indeed turn out to be a subtle, male twist on their beatific pop formula.
The band comes out of New Zealand, and has lots in common aesthetically with antipodean contemporaries like Sodastream and The Go-Betweens, putting their appreciation for melody and a personal turn of lyricism at the forefront, and it makes for a subtly-burning sound to behold.
Lead singer Nick Harte's vocals on End Of The World are lovelorn and hopeful in a similar way to the Stream's Karl Smith or Forster and McLennan at their height, his poetry shimmering next to his band's intricate rhythms in poignant style, and when strings come up to create a subtle crescendo at the end of the track, the effect is fantastically romantic. Riding a brilliant lineage to new constellations, the Pinks are definitely ones to watch.
