"Sex King on a velvet swing, waiting for my Alice in Wonderland" croons Ariel Pink on "Sexual Athletics", one of the ditties on his latest, pom pom, a bizarre, lengthy collection of charcoal and fuschia LA-pop jams for fans of Ariel Pink, and probably no one else.
Having recently sparked one thousand thought pieces after calling Madonna washed up and getting into a twitter-fight with Grimes, you can't help but notice how conveniently timed it was with this release. A classic pop star PR move, intentional or not. There are times where pom pom sounds like the soundtrack to 1980's children's cartoon Punky Brewster, all phat snare and synth bass with wacky, weird lyrics like "white freckles... she got them at the tanning salon" (White Freckles).
Then there's the frog croaking mixed into a song of lament and yearning (Exile On Frog Street) and somehow sounding right at home. While it makes sense to file pom pom under the category of "Absurdist Pop", much credit should be given to the man for being a master of his craft. Just when you think he's gone too far, he'll steer you back on track with a song so pretty it’ll wash your slate clean ("Dayzed Inn Daydreams").
Ariel Pink is not for everyone, but for those who dig, go deep friend. Go deep.
★★★★
