TOGETHER PANGEA - Bulls And Roosters

They call themselves Together Pangea, from Los Angeles, California, where between a surf session, a sunset cocktail and the dream of becoming Eddie Vedder (who was surfing in San Diego in 1990, let's not forget) or the Rolling Stones (listen to “Sippy Cup”, just to get the idea), there are always all the right ingredients for sunny, carefree songs.

Just like their previous “Badillac”, dating back three years now, the new “Bulls And Roosters” goes down a pleasure, though it sounds less punk than their early days (but the minute and a half of “Better Find Out” remains a solid punch in the face), and shows greater attention to melodic aspects (and it's no sin if the result is the alt-pop roundness of “Peach Mirror” and “Is It Real?”).

Very sixties on “The Cold”, decidedly nineties on the title track (which opens with a nod to Nirvana), even close to the Cure in the guitar attacks of “Friend Of Nothing” and “Stare At The Sun”, the four musicians know how to write a clever hook, so they get away with it even when the song seems less interesting (the synths on “Kenmore Ave.” suggested the worst) or when their power-punk gets a bit too youthful (“Southern Comfort”).

The problem is that Together Pangea, arriving at their fourth album (not counting various EPs scattered here and there), still sound too much like many others. No clearly defined personality emerges that sets them apart from similar acts, with the added drawback that, for all their derivativeness, they remain far from the results achieved by a Ty Segall or Fidlar, to name stylistically kindred examples. Let's see if next time around they can land the right punch.

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11/09/2017