Artist:   The Pink Spiders
Album: The Pink Spiders Are Taking Over
Label: Self-Released
Tracks: 7
Length: 20:11
Review by: Phil Nichols

I have a confession to make: I really, really wanted to hate this album. As soon as I pulled it out of the packaging and caught my first glimpse of the gaudy press photographs, I knew it would be hard to listen to without a negative bias. Then I saw the title: The Pink Spiders Are Taking Over. "Oh great!" I thought (I didn't mean "great" as in "Oh great! I found money on the ground!" as much as I meant a sarcastic "great" like, "Oh great! I just doused my head in kerosene and accidentally lit my face on fire."). Consequently, I dismissed the disc altogether as another low-budget 80's revivalist band complete with pretentious wardrobe and self-gratifying album title, and set it aside until a later date.

Now, as everyone knows, you cannot hide from your problems. No matter how much you procrastinate or avoid them, they will find you. You have to confront them. So on one fateful evening, while tidying up about the house, I saw The Pink Spiders Are Taking Over glaring at me from across the room. The confrontation had been initiated. And I- never one to back down from a challenge- decided to give an unbiased listen to the band before casting my judgment upon them.

I was shocked. The Pink Spiders are not nearly as bad as the lackluster packaging might imply. They have a sound that blends aspects of new wave, pop, punk, and good old-fashioned rock n' roll. The songs also have varying tempos, which make it easy to listen to most of the album straight through without stopping. Lyrically the band has some interesting imagery as the writing combines the pomp and confidence of 80's rock and the urgency of contemporary punk. The vocals are a little pitchy in places, but for the most part, these guys pull off the harmony and melody lines rather nicely.

Is this disc worth buying? That depends. This album is nothing that is going to change the face of music as we know it. None of the songs are going to inspire bouts of celebration in verse. But if you are a fan of 80's influenced pop-rock in the vein of The Reunion Show (without synthesizers) and want something to hold your attention for a while, then you will probably get some enjoyment out of The Pink Spiders Are Taking Over.