Ahead of the release of their forthcoming debut album, A Sense of Danger, The Pixel Rain gives us a taste of what’s to come with the majestic lead single “Last.” Not only a revelatory sound for discerning music fans but also a revolutionary move for the band, as they allow post-punk guitars to surge forward in what has, at least until now, been a sound defined more by electronica.
And so we get the best of both worlds: a soundscape created by razor-wire guitars cutting their way through dense digital textures, acoustic drums cocooned in swirling synth pulses, and depth-charge basslines brooding beneath darkwave electronica. Imagine The Jesus and Mary Chain collaborating with Floodland era Sisters of Mercy or New Order turning to the dark side. Well, that sort of sound shimmers seductively at the heart of the music.
And if “Last” looks, in part, to the past for sonic inspiration, its message is both timely and timeless, examining the role of authoritarian leaders who seem increasingly dominant today and imagining the world they are shaping for future generations. A subject all the more poignant from a band who, although based in London, call Hungary their homeland.
It’s big, bristling, brooding, and brilliant, and as a calling card for the full album, it does its job of teasing the audience and delivering a tantalizing taste of what’s to come brilliantly.
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