Autumn of the Seraphs
by Pinback

Album details

US: 11 September 2007 on Touch & Go
UK: IMPORT ONLY

Rob Crow, Zach Smith, & co. return with a self-produced fourth album, the follow-up to 2004’s ‘Summer in Abaddon.’ Early versions of the album include a bonus EP.

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The critical consensus

It looks like another solid effort for the boys from San Diego, with Under The Radar, for example, praising the band’s "immaculate songs," and Delusions of Adequacy calling it their "magnum opus" and one of the top indie-rock albums of the past five years. "When ‘Autumn’ is on point, it offers some of Pinback’s best tunes yet," opines Billboard. Alternative Press must think it’s on point often, as that publication calls Autumn "Pinback’s strongest album to date." Harp calls the disc "arresting" and admires its aggression and tension, while The Onion, conversely (but also positvely), labels it "finely spun" and a "delicate indie-pop bauble." Pitchfork notes that although "Seraphs lacks the some of the depth and organic detail that made Pinback’s Summer in Abaddon a standout," the album still qualifies as "a more satisfying front-to-back listen than any of their previous records." The Stranger’s only hangup is the consistency and familiarity of Pinback’s sound; otherwise, the new album is "another salve of intricately assembled musical arithmetic and sleepy melodies." Tiny Mix Tapes also notes the band’s consistency over their four albums, although the Village Voice hears a change: the songs sound cheerier this time out.

You want comparisons? All Music Guide calls Pinback followers of the Police, while Artist Direct hears echoes of bands such as Earlimart and The Sea and Cake. Other publications, like Prefix, do away with comparisons and say that Pinback’s work exists "in a world of its own." "The musicians strike the right balance between an ambitious, ever-evolving pop sound and a down-to-earth, DIY ethic," adds Prefix.

The album’s one major detractor among our critics surveyed, CokemachineGlow, finds the disc formulaic and "without substance."

It may be melancholic fare, but Pinback never forgets pop’s first rule: It’s the hooks, stupid.

- John Schacht, Harp

Review roundup

Tracklisting and media

1. From Nothing To Nowhere
   
2. Barnes
3. Good To Sea
4. How We Breathe
5. Walters
6. Subbing For Eden
7. Devil You Know
8. Blue Harvest
9. Torch
10. Bouquet
11. Off By 50

Also on the web

• Official Artist Site
• Pinback @ MySpace