Staples of Vancouver's punk scene for years, Needles//Pins return three years after their sophomore album Shamebirds with a revitalized sound that does them wonders. Though it's no drastic change from the trashy, '70s-style power-pop that has defined their work to date, Good Night, Tomorrow is a noticeable improvement that finds the band playing with more feeling and maturity than ever before.
This new record has the kind of bite, grit and effortlessness that calls to mind classic bands like the Replacements, Jawbreaker and Constantines. With newly hired producer Jesse Gander (Japandroids, White Lung, the Pack A.D.) at the helm, the band continue to keep things simple while expanding their instrumental arsenal to include acoustic guitar, piano, strings and organ — additions that flesh out the songs admirably. Meanwhile, singer Adam Solomonian is no longer cleaning up his vocals for the sake of the band's more "traditional" power-pop sound of past; his gravelly howl suits their new folksy-punk style, and bears a lot more character (though its relentlessness may be a bit much for some to handle).
Songs like "Back to the Bright," "All the Same" and "Violet" are the kinds of full-throated, heart-on-sleeve punk jams you may find yourself hollering toward the ceiling in a sweaty mess of PBR-soaked comrades at some point this summer, while ones like "Tomorrow" and "Sleep" find the band dialling things back a couple notches for a needed change of pace. A natural evolution for a crew of BC punk veterans, Good Night, Tomorrow is a new and different chapter for Needles//Pins that doesn't rewrite their history.
(Mint Records)This new record has the kind of bite, grit and effortlessness that calls to mind classic bands like the Replacements, Jawbreaker and Constantines. With newly hired producer Jesse Gander (Japandroids, White Lung, the Pack A.D.) at the helm, the band continue to keep things simple while expanding their instrumental arsenal to include acoustic guitar, piano, strings and organ — additions that flesh out the songs admirably. Meanwhile, singer Adam Solomonian is no longer cleaning up his vocals for the sake of the band's more "traditional" power-pop sound of past; his gravelly howl suits their new folksy-punk style, and bears a lot more character (though its relentlessness may be a bit much for some to handle).
Songs like "Back to the Bright," "All the Same" and "Violet" are the kinds of full-throated, heart-on-sleeve punk jams you may find yourself hollering toward the ceiling in a sweaty mess of PBR-soaked comrades at some point this summer, while ones like "Tomorrow" and "Sleep" find the band dialling things back a couple notches for a needed change of pace. A natural evolution for a crew of BC punk veterans, Good Night, Tomorrow is a new and different chapter for Needles//Pins that doesn't rewrite their history.
