The Pierces: Creation

I live for female fronted music, especially when sensuality clashes with honesty, giving the material a slight edge and mystery. The Pierces, a sister psychedelic pop duo, have spent the last fourteen years making music. Their newest album, Creation, is my first venture into their particular brand of pop infusion, but I have been completely swayed. These women have stated their terms and are running full force with their creativity.

I tend to judge an album by its first track, but the title track, “Creation”, reaches my demands. The ominous beginning includes a small organ solo, setting a haunting tone. But when the vocals and music open up, the mood is lightened with a combination of tambourine, guitar, and soft drums. For the chorus, the melody sounds spacious and encompasses the vocals. The tone is airy and friendly. The lyrical content includes comparisons like, “life is like a lonely gun/point it at the lonely ones,” and declarations like “you drink/you dance/you fight/you die/and maybe you believe in love.” Together, the song’s musical identity transitions the message.

Another gem is “Honest Man”, which starts with a slight electronic echo effect before going into some straight guitar. The music adds a strong bass line and mellow drums, which encourages the melody to eventually pick up. “Honest Man” has an open chorus, and the instruments build and rush into a collaboration of noise. Accompanying such a pace are descriptions like, “caught a ride with the north wind/it was a bad trend and it was a bad scene” and “he was an honest man on a lost highway/we all know what we can, he was going my way.”  “Monsters” is clever and super descriptive. Lyrical lines like, “there were monsters beneath our bed/and he was scared until we taught them all to sing and then we had a laugh instead,” and “and there were strangers all around/and I was lost until the moment when you came and took my hand and I was found,” are captivating. The musical element starts with an echoed guitar, and opens to a steady melody of consistent beats and some reverberation. “Monsters” is a little more twangy and the the vocals of both Pierce sisters carry this country-inspired song.

“Confidence in Love” is my favorite song off Creation. It has a more poppy melody infused with a love ballad persona. The beginning signifies a slow and simple tone, playing all guitar and some electronic effects. When the vocals are introduced, the melody calms down and spaces out but still produces a carefree mood. I’m most impressed with that constant softness and the lyrics which claim, “sometimes we believe the fear/I can see that ghost from here,” and the sweet declarations of, “but money don’t mean a thing/you give me confidence in love.” This lighthearted love song is a nice break from Creation‘s other blatant truths and rough edges.

The Pierces have included multiple angles in Creation, turning their attention and talents to certain musical elements to keep the suspense and demonstrate their style. I’m impressed with the versatility of the songs and the lyrical creations, which are apparent in every song. Their fifth studio album shows their longevity and legendary attributes.