In Stores Now: Before Today by Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti

Illustration from the article "Fighting Coach" in Boys' Life magazine, September 1951

I'm not an avid fan of Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti - I only own The Doldrums, his first album that got a wide release - but I've been interested to see him develop as a songwriter and performer. He's one of those real oddball talents - his music makes such a forceful impression that it's hard to just file away under "too strange/not worth the effort". When he signed to 4AD Records late last year, I started to hear chatter that he was going "mainstream", which I found hard to believe. Like a lot of people, I felt that Pink's throwback, lo-fi production aesthetic and murky, reverb-heavy pop sound were keys to making his music - you know - listenable.

Before Today is the alleged move to the mainstream, but I am happy to report that it is still totally weird. Ariel Pink hasn't ditched his off-the-wall style - he's just shifted things around a little. Like his hero R. Stevie Moore, he's a restless eccentric, willing to change his sound as new opportunities make themselves available - Before Today shows his commitment to doing his own thing, all the way down to the strange sequencing of the album. Pink starts us off with "Hot Body Rub" a slight intro track that heavily features the sleazy horns of jazz combo Added Pizzazz, and this leads into "Bright Lit Blue Skies", an obscure '60s garage-rock number. A core of three excellent pop songs anchors the middle of the album before the album briefly spirals into questionable territory with the one-two punch of "Butthouse Blondies" and "Little Wig". Those songs don't really go anywhere and take too much time to do it (reminiscent of some of the longer tracks on The Doldrums), but "Menopause Man", a great track right at the end of the album, is worth waiting for. It's got some great pop hooks that take just long enough to sink in, and its goofy lyrics are right in Pink's wheelhouse.

But, honestly, Before Today is all about its centerpiece single, "Round and Round", a song that requires two listens. The first time, the unexpectedly creamy '70s-AM-pop chorus will knock you off your feet. The second time, that chorus will knock you off your feet again because the song is cleverly structured so that you can't anticipate its appearance. Delayed gratification is a game Ariel Pink plays well, and Before Today, the album that delivers on the potential of his earlier lo-fi work, was worth the wait.

"Round and Round" by Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti