I first got to know Pinky Pinky at the Roxy Theater in Los Angeles last December. I was taken aback by the bands carefree energy both in music and personality. Whether it be Anastasia Sanchez’s full bodied vocals or the slow rolling notes of guitar, Pinky Pinky makes music with no intention if people-pleasing. It’s clear that they don’t care what people think of them, and maybe that’s exactly what the music industry has been missing. The latest album on the surface is Turkey Dinner, a surf-rock record with unique characters and thematic focuses. To top it all off, Sanchez carries the album with her one of a kind, almost sugary vocal performance. It’s the badass, Los Angeles, female perspective that the industry has been fiending for.
The first song on the album is my favorite. “My Friend Shawn” is an easygoing ballad about your universal crush. Pinky Pinky puts the anxiousness and butterflies in words by writing “Please tell me what the hell is going on? It’s so confusing, I don’t know if I want this anymore.” They capture the panic, the ups and downs, and the buildup of modern romance with a swift bass-line and high strung guitar.
Coming off the buzz of “My Friend Shawn” is the second piece on the record “Mystery Sedan.” “Mystery Sedan” is an answer to the question posed by “My Friend Shawn.” It discusses the moment of coming face to face with someone you’ve romanticized in your mind. “I’m alone with you, I don’t know what you want me to do.” “Mystery Sedan” offers up a charmingly broken down setting to pair with the character of Shawn who we’ve already met.
The halfway mark of the album is “Applecheeks.” “Applecheeks” gives us a stylistic shift from the comfortable surf ballad we’ve come to expect. This song marries the slow moving strings of surf rock with influences of country. In my opinion, it’s not the best match. “Applecheeks” is an attempt to take on new genre sandwiched in the middle of something completely different.
The finale is “Loose Change.” “Loose Change,” features sporadic notes of brass, an up-tempo piano riff, and a manic bass-line. Sanchez certainly secures her position as front woman who can keep up with the noise of other instruments. Not only does Sanchez keep up, but she relishes in the opportunity to play around and work with other musical elements.Perhaps the harmony of Pinky Pinky’s music comes from their history as a band. There’s a common identity among the band members of being young women who grew up in LA. Not only that, but Sanchez, Fields, and Chambers have been playing together since high school. Being best friends with you’re bandmates allows for a bond and a refined sound that many musicians never come close to. Turkey Dinner is an album rich in character, thought, and context.
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