Ariel Pink: pom pom
On 2012’s Mature Themes, Ariel Pink’s lo-fi head-fuck carnival psychedelia coalesced into a somewhat linear collection—even spawning an un-ironic pop breakthrough with the jangly “Only in My Dreams.” But with the almost 70-minute double-LP pom pom, the Dr. Demento of indie has eschewed cohesiveness in favor of unhinged sprawl, stitching together his most manic hodgepodge to date. As usual, it’s best to appreciate after ascending to a certain summit of stoned. But Pink’s still finding inventive new ways to weird us out: “Plastic Raincoats in the Pig Parade” is equal parts Zappa and The Wiggles, with a post-chorus piano ripped straight from Sgt. Pepper’s; “Black Ballerina” finds Pink enjoying a frightened lap-dance over froggy synth-funk. “Frama-lamading-dong,” he sings on the surf-rock parody “Nude Beach a Go-Go,” sprouting Beach Boys-tinted gibberish over tropical guitars and tom-tom flourishes. Only Ariel Pink could make a swinging ‘60s beach party sound like a horror movie murder scene.