Album Review: Pinky Pinky – Turkey Dinner

Monday, June 24, 2019

LA-based band Pinky Pinky serves up a savoury and delectable offering with their stunning debut album Turkey Dinner. Though the album may contain elements of vintage garage-rock, blues and surf-rock, it's a project that transcends the barriers of genre, with the focus instead being on the unique and whimsical narratives that they construct across the album's eleven tracks — as well as how they use the instrumentals to amplify the emotions brimming in each track. Turkey Dinner is also an exploration of life in one's early 20s, including longing, heartbreak and the weird encounters along the way.

They are true storytellers who are able to use strong imagery in their lyrics to paint a scene that's intriguing and otherworldly. On 'Lady Dancer', they describe a dancer who works late nights and that "you better put that money down or she'll never let you in". The retro-rock track is told in the third person, but at the end, Pinky Pinky cleverly inject their presence into the story with the stark and scathing words, "And if I ever get my fingers 'round his neck / well you'll see". As a listener, they invite you to be an observer of the worlds that they construct. On the album's opener 'My Friend Sean', they tell the story of a protagonist longing for 'Sean' and becomes doubtful when Sean isn't quite showing his affections. As the surf-tinged song progresses and Sean finally shows that he's interested, the instrumentals escalate chaotically and the vocals appear in sharp bursts, suddenly describing that he's the one. 'If It Didn't Hurt' visually describes becoming dismembered after giving yourself to someone in pieces, "Now I'm dismembered / And you have everything / But it was worth it".

The LP channels the feeling of being caught in your own thoughts and being left overwhelmed by contemplation. On the fast-paced 'All The Birds', Pinky Pinky discuss regret and mistakes, as well as the volcanic explosion of thoughts that happen when your world is about to implode due to a mishap and all you can do is sit back and let it go down. On 'Applecheeks', which is one of the album's more tender songs, they describe longing and the all-consuming nature of infatuation and how it can dominate one's entire mind and thoughts. 'Mystery Sedan' is about wanting more beyond the mundanity of life in the same city and the ways one might risk their life in the pursuit of something more thrilling. Their stirring and moving track 'Sticking Around' has words that are direct and honest, appearing as an outpouring of feelings.

Along with the emotional depth of Turkey Dinner, there's also plenty of moments of fun as well. Particularly on the album's buoyant and vibrant closer, which features a charming story about redemption. The spirited number is a fitting conclusion to the album, showcasing everything that they are about.

Pinky Pinky's Turkey Dinner features unforgettable and evocative stories, relatable words and unique instrumentation, and is certainly an album that you'll devour over-and-over again. 

Written by Amy Smolcic (@amysmolcic)

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