The Big Pink - Brief History of Love (2009) [4AD] // Grade: B+

There are hundreds of ways to describe London duo The Big Pink and their much-hyped debut—among them, of course: My Bloody Valentine-esque, nu-gaze, intense, atmospheric, blah, blah, blah—but perhaps the most applicable is massive. From the seemingly endless UK hype machine to the climactic tracks on A Brief History Of Love, TBP simply feels larger than life, regardless of how popular they have yet to become.

Which isn’t to say they aren’t worthy of the word—or that, worse, they haven’t lived up to the hype. Robbie Furze and Milo Cordell (son of Denny Cordell and creator of Merok Records) have made a gorgeous album with Love, somehow managing to combine a slew of shoegaze and Brit-pop influences into a collection of songs that feel pretty authentic, rather than some forced rehash of obviously awesome things. Think of it as more accessible version of Loveless; epic and noisy, but with an extra-keen (and sometimes Animal Collective-ish) sense of pop melodies. Sure, it has its melodramatic moments (the entire thing is about varying facets of love, after all) and may at times veer a little too far into its commercial tendencies. But Love ultimately feels really fresh, especially for an album so mired in its influences.

And while the most epic tracks, like opener “Crystal Visions” with its fuzzed-out guitars and Verve-like vocals, or even “Frisk”‘s explosive industrial vibe, are what will surely define this album, it’s where TBP pulls it back that Love really shines. The simple, hopeful melody of “At War with the Sun”. The subtle grandeur of “Golden Pendulum”. These tracks, despite feeling positively sleepy compared to others, really show TBP for as massive as they are: because even in their quietest moments, they make the most immense noise.

- Rue Sauvage