Staff Reviews

Pete and the Pirates - One Thousand Pictures

Review by Andrew Kennedy

One Thousand Pictures was well worth the wait. »

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pete and the pirates return with their brendan lynch produced sophomore lp on stolen recordings, 'one thousand pictures', the follow up to 2008's critically acclaimed debut, 'little death'. motorcycles, blood, sex, guns and insanity. not things you'd immediately associate with reading's prime guitar pop exponents, but then neither are phasing synths, sizzling psychedelia and the general atmosphere of darkness and thunder. yet, these are the potent thrills pete and the pirates are mixing into their infectious pop stew on their second album that captures the sound of a band seamlessly moving up through the weight divisions - packing a greater punch, but losing none of the stream lined hooks and innate melodicism that defined their debut. change is ushered in from the first half-time drum beat of album opener, 'can't fish' as plunging waves of guitar are augmented by a riff that sounds like it's been beamed down from another planet or from the bottom of the ocean. with vintage synth lines bubbling under motorik rhythms and a trademark soaring chorus, first single, 'come to the bar' - zane lowe's 'hottest record in the world' on radio 1 - confirms pirates have not lost their knack of penning contagious pop melodies. 'little gun' merges female with firearm in an irrepressible two-minute pop splurge. 'shotgun' and 'cold black kitty' share a dark and gritty air, whilst 'winter 1' rattles along on a fractured krautruck groove and lyrics of bitterness, alcoholism and feeling lost.
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