Review: Plushgun – Pins & Panzers

Jordy Kasko March 9, 2009 0

Calling all Postal Service fans! No, the Death Cab/Dntel collaboration has not released an album since its ingenious debut 6 years ago. And I think any sane-minded person will agree that the current indie-electro-synth-pop movement that Rolling Stone and other “music magazines” are obsessed with is woeful and detestable. However, alternative band Plushgun has created a beautiful, nostalgic album based around looped beats that rivals even Ladytron for domination in the genre.

If The Postal Service is the synth pop icon of the west coast, then Plushgun is the same for the east coast. Based in Brooklyn, their sound combines upbeat synth beats with soft, beautiful lyrics and gorgeous melodies. The bipolar nature of their music (as well as the appropriate album title) fits the nonstop American culture perfectly, and I’m surprised they haven’t exploded already. From the perfect pop of “How We Roll”, a great driving song, to the Spoon-style acoustic strumming and handclaps of “Let Me Kiss You Now (And I’ll Fade Away)”, a highly memorable folky tune, Plushgun is relentless on this 10-song release.

Lead single “Just Impolite” alludes to multiple artists (Johnny Cash, The Beatles, Bob Dylan) in its calm, introspective lyrics (“I walk the line like Johnny Cash, I made the bus in seconds flat…”), and for any other song, it would sound trite and stupid. Here it simply astounds. “Union Pool” borrows from disco and 80s pop, “An Aria” takes piano and strings and layers them over a midtempo beat, and “A Crush To Pass The Time” could easily achieve the same lovesong fame as “Such Great Heights” if it were covered by Iron & Wine.

There is not a weak track on this album – look at the iTunes reviews as well as my own. This will be one of the best releases of 2009, and with “Just Impolite” currently impacting radio all over the country, look for this band to very possibly blow up, especially in scene circles. Get familiar with them now so you can brag to your friends while you blare them on your next road trip. For night driving, nostalgia, making love. Download “Just Impolite” and “Dancing In A Minefield” for free here, and listen to “The Dark In You” or a selection from the album. Preview or buy this album on