The innocuous, Chinese-themed album cover and smiling faces on "Chop Suey" from relocated Philippine band Prettier Than Pink (http://www.prettierthanpink.com) are completely deceptive. This is actually an acid-washed psychedelic record blooming with pop-punk energy and sweat-inducing funk.
"Chop Suey" opens with the cinematic punch of "Mars," a druggy jam that immediately reveals the group's intoxicating, breathtaking chemistry - frenzied percussion, mind-bending wah-wah riffs, and chunky, heart-thumping bass lines. Vocalist/guitarist Lei Bautista, clearly influenced by the Beatles, uses her voice as instrument, reflecting the sense of wonder and weirdness in the lyrics. If indie-pop is going to have its own "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds," it might be "Mars."
However, do not get the impression that Prettier Than Pink are '60s revivalists. These lasses summon several decades of pop music as each track seems to have originated from a particular era. "Kryptonite" captures the manic energy of early '80s New Wave with its unyielding exuberance; it's as bright and shiny as a newly polished Doc Marten boot. On "Get Up," the group echoes the invigorating disco rock of late '70s Blondie but with deeply psychedelic shadings.
Amidst the gloom and drone of many of today's alternative, Prettier Than Pink have actually developed a bouncy, ironic sense of humor, especially on the jaw-droppingly funny satire "Hair" and the fork-tongued "Little Men, Big Cars." "You're right, chicks dig the car/Only if real men drive them," sings Bautista with sugar-coated sweetness on "Little Men, Big Cars," tricking listeners - including this admittedly macho Englishman - into humming along to a scathing put down. This is feminism done right - no self-righteous rubbish, merely a pop tart spiked with malice.
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Listen carefully and you'll be able to discern the band's key inspirations aside from the aforementioned Beatles and Blondie; there are glimpses of Echo & the Bunnymen, Siouxsie & the Banshees, and the Smiths in the grooves but there is none of the blatant thievery that Coldplay and Franz Ferdinand are guilty of.
While much of "Chop Suey" is fun and even funny, it has its serious moments, too. The spectral "Johnny Blaze" is a black-clad ballad with a dreamy vocal from Bautista and effectively creepy percussion from Ann Connolly. "Baby" is a tender love song that owes a huge debt to the Beach Boys. However, the artistic peak of "Chop Suey" is in its climax: The epic guitar sweep and theatrical drums of "Irish Rose." If U2 had a female singer, they would've sounded like this. Capturing U2's widescreen sonics is a Herculean task that many artists aim for and fail to accomplish, yet Prettier Than Pink pull it off with grace and rejuvenating power. "Irish Rose" is spectacular.
Cheers to one of the year's most impressive records.
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