Album Reviews
Movies
Concert Reviews

Top 10
Resources
Contact Us

What do you get when you mix 50's rock, 80's hair music, ska, and a  touch of modern country?  Something approaching, but not altogether  like Pinki Mojo.  Pinki Mojo is an oddly-named band from Akron, Ohio,  that has put together a quite decent first effort in their self-titled album.

The two female lead vocalists (Julia Mann and Melody) definitely have pipes, and know how to use them.  There isn't any forced angst to the vocals, but they are powerful and emotive.  The guitars are played, instead of power-chorded ad nauseam, thanks to Mike Johnson, the bass work of Mick Hurray is generally interesting, and the drumming of Craig Richmond is solid.  The only knock against this effort, really, is that it sounds more like a band still trying to find their own style and voice.  

Other than the inconsistency of song styles, there is a simple yet tight sound to much of the playing on the album.  It is obvious that the band enjoys what they do, since that shines through in their songs.  A good example of that is the opening track "Better."  The bright guitar intro is matched by the bright lead vocals-- it is hard not to smile.  The closing track "Believe In Yourself" has almost a No Doubt sound to it. "Fall From Grace" sounds like something Heart could have recorded in the early 80s. "Falling Down" is reminiscent of Abba.  And so on and so forth.  There are hints of all sorts of classic pop bands throughout the album--which is precisely the sound that Pinki Mojo is going for.

There's nothing spectacular about the lyrics, which seem to be mostly about love and loss and the combination of the two.  Also, the album could perhaps use a little more 'slickness' to the production.  It does have more of a demo feel to it than an album feel, a general ambiance that the range of styles doesn't help.  But I have to say it is a refreshing thing to hear that classic pop is alive and well, as long as bands like Pinki Mojo are on the scene.

Alex Klages 7/14/2002