Pinkwash are not happy. One of the events that inspired guitarist and singer
Joey Doubek to form the band in the first place was the slow, agonizing, and expensive death of his mother, who succumbed to cancer, so as you'd imagine, good vibes are not exactly this act's stock in trade. But if you want to hear a band that takes a bad mood and really makes something out of it, then
Pinkwash may be just what you've been looking for. You'd have to go back to
the Laughing Hyenas to find a band who made their rage connect with the sheer physical impact
Pinkwash conjure on 2016's
Collective Sigh, and the pinpoint focus of their disgust is as sharp as anyone in recent memory.
Pinkwash's precision assault is all the more remarkable when you discover only two people are making that racket -- guitarist and singer
Doubek and drummer
Ashley Arnwine are a compact assault team whose technical skills are little short of astounding. Just as important, this band's fury is eloquent and full of purpose; the melodic structures for these songs may be minimal, but their twists and turns are challenging and thoughtful, and the sheer torque of the performances transforms them into something that carries heavy emotional weight as it comes crashing down on the listener. And
Doubek's wrath is intelligent and not unreasonable when one listens through his furious peals. Plenty of albums are as sonically polarizing as
Collective Sigh -- you'll either love its violence or you'll flee for your life -- but you're not likely to find one that says as much and as clearly through its noisy report as this. No wonder
Pinkwash aren't happy, given how much goes wrong in their world while they're this powerfully good.