Album of the Day: Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti - The Doldrums

Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti - The Doldrums (2004)
lo-fi, psychedelia, psychedelic rock

After years of recording in relative seclusion in the hills of Los Angeles, Ariel Pink—or otherwise known as Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti—makes his official Paw Tracks debut with The Doldrums, an avant-guard psychedelic album. Originally a handmade CD-R release a couple years before its official release, The Doldrums was discovered by Animal Collective during one of their west coast tours and became an immediate favourite.

Ariel Rosenberg (his real name) creates music that stretches imagination in incredible depth and surrealism. Recording at home with only a guitar, keyboard, 8-track, and drum sounds unbelievably created with his voice, Rosenberg manages to blend lo-fi pop with 70s mono-rock into something beautiful and confusing, yet highly addictive. The album tends to paint a picture or poem in the air from that era. However, I think Rosenberg did something interesting to the 1970s. It wasn’t what was heard, it was more of what the child’s minds was thinking during that time, especially his. Most people in the 70s do not have many luxuries that we have today. They did not have cable, and so Rosenberg escaped to some place quiet and created his entertainment from the memory of things he picked up in his head. This clutter of synths, drugs, cheap drum loops and effeminate young men with lined eyes was all that was needed to amuse a child to salvation.

There are many highlights on The Doldrums. The album opens up with Good Kids Make Bad Grown Ups, an almost nauseating acid-trip tune with Ariel Pink’s David Bowie-esque vocals when he sings in his lower register. For Kate I Wait and Among Dreams are two of my favourite songs. There is a sense of innocence to both songs, being upbeat yet gentle at the same time. He sings in his higher register in Among Dreams, bringing out a more annoying nasality to his voice; whereas in For Kate I Wait, he dips down in his Bowie-sound-a-like, bringing out his more haunting and less playful atmosphere. The Ballad of Bobby Pyn is a collection of hypnotizing and mad sounds from synths, voice and found sounds. I love how this song starts as a structured song, and gradually transforms into the most indescribable trip through the brain. There is something to say about the simplicity and complexity of the song, and the entire record for that matter. The Doldrums is very avant-garde for this century because of this ability to combine hot and cold together yet separate simultaneously.

It’s really difficult for me to describe this album. It is unlike anything I have heard or felt before, and I love every minute of it. The music is nostalgic, psychedelic, confusing, dreamy, and utterly insane. I am immensely pleased that there are people who still believe in breaking boarders beyond the first boarders to begin with. The Doldrums is a piece of fascinating art that literally takes one to another galaxy; no-man’s-land if you will. Being the first non-Animal Collective member on the Paw Tracks roster, Ariel Pink proves to be a highly creative individual that lets nothing stand in his way to create the sounds he wants with the voice of many octaves warped by the sun. Thank you for messing with out minds, Ariel Pink.



Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti - For Kate I Wait by ajay-patel