Pineja’s debut EP artwork features a fire truck, and this is certainly appropriate as all four tracks are hot!
Fly Fly Away kicks the compilation off in high gear with its blistering 70’s-style blues rock melodic wailing solo reminiscent of Lynyrd Skynyrd or Traffic and then the tempo smoothly drops out into an idling pared down groove with a Kiwi infused nod to classic reggae vocals. Think Fat Freddy’s Drop or Salmonella Dub with just the right amount of reverb. The icing on the cake is the hilariously relatable lyrics that tell a story about the trials of having a hungry dog and a pesky fly.
Drop Dead Girl is upbeat and danceable. Very Red Hot Chili Peppers meets disco funk with the high point for me being the joyful harmonies in the chorus. Although this may not be what you anticipated when picking up this recording never fear. There is a smooth change into a reggae skank groove before slipping back into high gear to bring it all home.
Grey Days has a carnival feel to it with a base oom pah pah rhythm combined with blistering guitar riffs alongside melodic bass lines which remind me of Mr. Bungle. It’s a thrilling, adrenaline-laden ride. The lyrics tell of the greed of Governor Grey and urge the people to protect the land and its valuable resources. The culmination is intense and moving with a very powerful verse spoken in te reo Māori.
Burning slips effortlessly between the slow and fast lanes to deliver some impeccably timed tempo changes. It’s the perfect ending to the party giving those who like to dance the chance to start cooling down while still shaking their groove thing.
The standouts on this EP are composition as well as musicianship. The songs are finely crafted, full of delightful surprises and to state it bluntly “farkin’ awesome.” I imagine hearing these creations live and loud would be the ideal environment to experience this band’s unique sound. I highly recommend adding some Waikato-born, Wellington-based Pineja to your life. I’m certainly glad I did.
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About the author Natasha Hopping
A.K.A Tasha Wolfe. Tasha is an adventurous female homo sapiens thriving mostly in her native Otautahi/ Christchurch habitat playing bass in original Alt/Goth/ Rock band One32nd, wielding a sword as part of Soul Star Tribal Belly Dance Collective or playing acoustic solo sets of her original songs. Tasha is classified as friendly, safe to approach and to this date, has not been known to bite.
