Everybody Else Is Taken - Pin Stripes

 Americana from Sweden. If your immediate response to that was "....what the fuck?" then we started off on the same page, as that was my gut reaction to the Pin Stripes following me on Twitter. It caught me very much by surprise to see a band from outside the US label themselves as "Americana" when ultimately Americana is only a patriotic form of folk rock that was born in, you guessed it, America. Oddly enough, the dynamic duo of Pin Stripes somehow achieves the Americana spirit and sound regardless of their country of origin. Before hitting play on the first track, I found myself forming a prejudice, as you might have expected upon reading this post's opening remark. But then it occurred to me that if IKEA can make it in America, so can Pin Stripes.

The album Everybody Else Is Taken opens with "Steel Machine," a track which, looking ahead at the tracks after it, is not the song I would've chosen to open the album. However, it does do what the opening track of a band's debut record should do. It introduces listeners to their unique brand of IKEA Rock. The track features a solid driving rhythm accompanied by an engaging acoustic riff and true-to-form Americana vocals. While it may not be as strong as some of the tracks to come, it does feature some strong vocal harmonies in the chorus.

In fact, one of the big elements that I enjoyed the most throughout the whole record were the vocal harmonies. One big gripe I have with the record is that there just wasn't enough of them. The second track of the record "Roll Me Away" features more of these harmonies than the track before, so it was a big step in the right direction.

Next comes "Blue Sky," a rhythm-driven anthem which is so true-to-form Americana, that it very closely resembles a "Death To My Hometown," a song by Americana icon Bruce Springsteen. Listen to both and you'll see what I mean. It isn't a rip-off by any means, but they share a very similar attitude and feel.

The following two tracks are, in my opinion, the strongest on the whole record. "The Preacher" has the most energy, the most attitude, and most style of the 10 track collection. What's more, I believe it also has the strongest lyrics of every track. "Fake Honey," however, cools off a little from the previous track. My favorite thing about this one is the engaging vocal pattern. Something about the singer's fluctuations in each line keep me engaged and interested throughout the whole composition.

For me, the weakest point of the record comes with "Let Me Be Me." It is not a bad song per se, however the vibe it gives off does not fit within the Americana tone that is present within every other track on the record. It almost sounds like something that would be playing at an Indian buffet. I don't know how else to describe it, listen to it and maybe you'll see what I mean.

Admittedly, I don't have much to say about the closing tracks of the album. Some of them are considerably slower than the previous ones, so my loyal readers already know that my interest in these songs is considerably lower than the previous ones. In some of these slower songs, the singer's voice and tone reminded me of White Lion singer Mike Tramp, combined with sea shanties.

As a whole, my biggest issue with the album is the way each song ends. I'm not convinced that the artist knew just how to end each song, so they just abruptly cut it off when they ran out of lyrics. After some of their strongest songs, the abrupt ending was unfortunately clunky and awkward.

Upon further reflection, I can definitely see myself listening to future releases from Pin Stripes. They're young and unique, and what I appreciate about them is that they're bringing a retired 70s rock sub-genre back to the spotlight.

Everybody Else Is Taken - Pin Stripes

4 - 17 - 2020

1. Steel Machine

2. Roll Me Away

3. Blue Sky

4. The Preacher

5. Fake Honey

6. Let Me Be Me

7. Poison Ivy

8. Wild One

9. Emily

10. The World Keeps Turning

Favorite Track: The Preacher

Least Favorite Track: Let Me Be Me

Rating: 6.4