REVIEW: PLEASURE PILL’S DEBUT ALBUM ‘HANG A STAR’ IS THE PERFECT SOUNDTRACK TO AN INDIE REVIVAL SUMMER
REVIEW
REVIEW
☆ BY KYLEE WIENS ☆
Photo By Brandon Mosquera
Messy eyeliner, cutoff denim shorts, tattoo choker necklaces, and vintage band tees may seem like relics of the past; yet, quite the opposite is materializing. The 2000s-2010s are coming back in a big way, with Gen Z leading the charge. From music to fashion, to imminent global recessions, the not-so-far away world of the mid-aughts is capturing young people’s spirits and creating a new cultural standard - one that rebels against clean conformity and invites an amalgamation of party culture, grunge aesthetics and independent art.
For many young musicians on the scene, this cultural moment is the perfect impetus for creative expression. To draw on inspiration from the past while reimagining the future requires a certain finger on the pulse, do-it-yourself attitude. Enter, Pleasure Pill. The San Diego-based quintet is no stranger to the underground scene, but their music combines the aesthetics and sounds of the early to mid-2000s with the sensibilities and attitudes of your favorite classic rock stars. Lead singer Jonah Paz assembled the band with his brother and close friends, arming themselves with catchy jangle-guitars and ear-grabbing pop hooks. The result is a sound both familiar and refreshing - one that pays homage to the likes of the Stones, Oasis and the Killers before them - yet also captures a youthful and forward-thinking spirit that advances the legacy of rock’n’roll.
On the heels of a recent tour with fellow San Diego starlets Benches, the pop-rockers have just released a debut album worthy of the sold-out arena tours of their musical predecessors. Hang a Star seems a fitting title for the band, a group of promising and effortlessly cool soon-to-be household names. The music, though, holds up to Pleasure Pill’s dreams of worldwide adornment. Anthemic, guitar-driven choruses, structurally simple yet lush arrangements and Paz’s infectiously sneering vocals offer the perfect soundtrack to an indie-revival summer. Paz recently told the Luna Collective, “This album is really the birth of the band. Half of it was written when we first started. I already had songs ready to go, and then we grew them together, rehearsing, playing a lot. It’s just a rock and roll record in the truest sense: no strings attached, nothing over the top. It’s just us.”
The album begins with “Favorite Color Gold,” a single previously released by the band in 2021. The track balances sunny, billowing melodic sensibilities with a slight psychedelic groove. It also introduces the tone of the album - sonically bright and lyrically confident. Lines like “My place is high up on the shelf” and “I can’t stop for no one/Well I Don’t” demonstrate the band’s longing for fame and notoriety, something they do not shy away from in their music or public presence. The rest of the album goes on to prove that these dreams are not far-fetched. Following track “So Long” is a moodier meditation on a love seemingly gone wrong. Soaring guitar solos, air-tight drumming and heart-wrenching lyrics make this a standout track on the album. Lyrics “Thoughtless empathy/pierces like a rusted blade/I’m bleeding so softly/thinking about the time you said/so long” are as addictive as they are devastating, solidifying “So Long” as a perfect breakup anthem for all the aching hearts out there.
The project continues with glimmering positivity and emotional honesty. “In Our Time” is a billowy and bright meditation on possibility, while “One to Blame” is an introspective and stirring tale of learning to take personal responsibility for our struggles. It becomes clear at this point in the album that each track drives forward a message of hope and excitement for the future. Paz reflects “I think the music lives in optimism and resilience. Wanting what you want in life, whether that’s a house or just stability. I try to write music that tells people like me that it’s possible, even when it doesn’t seem like it.”
“Wonder How” meets the album at its emotional apex, telling the tale of a woman scorned by the actions of an unnamed character. Paz’s vocal delivery is grandiose and theatrical, belting the repeated chorus “Now she goes out/you wonder how.” Ethan Paz’s rhythm guitar and Luke Blake’s lead guitar seem to meet for a dance, swirling and intertwining to exaggerate each of the song’s resonant beats. Hang a Star concludes with a promise - track “Don’t Fly Away” vows to make the band’s dreams of fame a reality. Lyrics “Dimming lights are what I’m finding/I look at me and I’m still shining/our business is what/people keep minding” maintain all the confidence of Hang a Star’s opening track, looping the album with a thread of unwavering dedication to the band’s bright future. The result is satisfying and electrifying. Listeners can walk away from the album with a sense of the band’s personal struggles, yet a mutual understanding and belief in their commitment to their dreams. However, Paz wants the album to remain open to different listeners’ experiences. “It’s definitely open to interpretation. For me, I can see one thing in a song, and someone else sees something totally different, and that’s valid. For me, it might be about hope, but it doesn’t have to be that for anyone else. I just want to believe in it enough to deliver it, and then after that, it’s not mine anymore. It belongs to whoever listens.”
Ultimately, Hang a Star delivers exactly what it promises. Early-aughts nostalgia is tapped into, but not relied on. Classic rock and Brit-pop musical elements are present, but a forward-thinking and fresh approach is taken. It’s not re-defining any particular genre; rather, it imagines a bright future through clever lyrical storytelling and tight instrumental performances. Untethered to any major label, Pleasure Pill’s impact on mainstream rock’n’roll remains to be seen. However, this album proves their worthiness to sell out the very same arenas that their musical heroes did. Honest, no-frills, and grounded, Hang a Star has arrived an an instant pop-rock classic. That, in itself, is a feat to be celebrated. So, dig up your old cutoff shorts, dust off those vintage band tees and pick up Hang a Star at your local record store. The Summer of Indie Revival is here, and Pleasure Pill have delivered the perfect soundtrack for it.
