Pinkshinyultrablast’s Grandfeathered Is an Exhausting, Exhilarating Blast of Shoegaze Pop

One could never accuse Russia’s Pinkshinyultrablast of false advertising; their name is a pretty accurate description of their particular take on shoegaze. On their sophomore album Grandfeathered, the five-piece creates a sound that’s as delicate and shiny/shimmery as it is raucous and explosive.

In all honesty, their previous releases always felt like a warm-up act to me, as if they were still working up to something special but weren’t quite there yet. With layers of distorted, overdriven guitars colliding with shimmering electronics and punishing rhythms — and Lyubov Soloveva’s absolutely heavenly vocals soaring high overhead — Grandfeathered delivers on much of the promise those earlier releases hinted at. On songs like “Glow Vastly” and “Comet Marbles,” it’s clear that Pinkshinyultrablast has pulled out all of the stops, and are gunning for the shoegaze elite.

The album’s unrelentingly louder-than-loud approach can get a bit exhausting at times. (It’s something of a relief when the guitars settle down, as on the title track, and let Soloveva come to the forefront for a few beats.) But it’s also an exhilarating ride, and the band’s obvious enthusiasm shines plainly through, which is infectious in its own way.

Listen to the album’s first single, “The Cherry Pit,” below.

If that leaves you wanting more, click here to listen to Grandfeathered in its entirety.