Pinact’s 'Stand Still & Rot' Does Exactly What It Doesn’t Say On The Tin

Remember that time you were in Aberdeen and went to one of the smallest venues in the city and watched two long haired guys tear the frail stage apart? You had been drinking at your friends flat since 3pm, but you still remember seeing those guys careen through the venue and thinking that local showcases can’t usually handle this much energy? That was the first time you saw Glaswegian duo Pinact live, and now that drunken evening can be experienced on record as they release their debut album 'Stand Still and Rot'.

In capturing the spirit of their live shows, 'Stand Still…' is stripped down to the bare minimum in its production to match only what the band requires. Guitar, drums, vocals that sound like Dylan Baldi’s weegie cousin and enough feedback to make Kevin Shields want to file a noise complaint.

But the basics are not to be underestimated, as this songwriting foundation serves as the basis for 12 tracks of singer/guitarist Corrie Gillies’ feelings of self-awareness of his own shortcomings and acceptance of a cruel fate, as he laments “I try my best to look surprised, jealousy hides behind my eyes, but I know you’re happy,” on "Into the One" or reflecting on less-than-successful ventures in romance on "Up or Down" (“You said that this is it, the closest thing to a relationship, although it won’t last long, it’s just something we’re both going through.”) Whether his vocals are sung in a distressingly vulnerable tone, or are screeched violently, the honesty of the lyrics make 'Stand Still…' a consistently harrowing listen. It’s a constant outlet for unspoken feelings.

The music itself feels like a refresher of the best of what punk music has given us over the past decade and a half, straight from the opening title track, which sounds like Wavves covering Weezer through a full charge of melodically charming songs, played with the most rugged and intense noise, as simple song foundations are made sterile enough to sound like Japandroids produced by Ty Segall with riffs like J. Mascis on crack. Rawness is the key to this album right until the last track "Novembore", which aims to comfort listeners from the intense noise they’ve just experienced. With more noise, only fitted into melodies reminiscent of The Cure.

And if you can imagine this mass of feedback drenched sound, with intense energy backing it, you get an idea of what it would feel like to spend an evening with Pinact gracing your stage when you listen to 'Stand Still and Rot'. And that sound is the prime source to a live show, you’ll never forget. Even when you don’t remember anything else that happened that night.

To find out more about Pinact click here.

To visit the Pinact Facebook page click here.

Words by Andy Davidson

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