Ariel Pink performs in the Soundcheck studio.

Ariel Pink: Absurdist, Dreamy Pop Songs

Soundcheck | Oct 3, 2014

For well over a decade now, the musician known as Ariel Pink has made album after album of unpredictable lo-fi pop, with songs packed with as many absurdist ideas as gorgeously dreamy melodies. And while he's grown beyond those loose early bedroom-recordings -- and learned to sharpen his songcraft into more satisfyingly taut tunes -- his songs and live set still maintain his anything-can-happen spirit. It's that juxtaposition between the experimental and the refined that has made the Los Angeles native and his project, Haunted Graffiti, such a fascinating and occasionally confounding songwriter.

After a couple breakthrough albums -- namely, 2010's Before Today and 2012's Mature Themes -- Ariel Pink eschews the Haunted Graffiti moniker for his latest, pom pom. An infectious 17-song, 69 minutes, pom pom (out Nov. 18) is said to be his first solo effort to his name, but he maintains "it is by far the least 'solo' record I have ever recorded." Regardless, Ariel Pink continues to demonstrate his way with a catchy hook and hilariously self-aware lyrics.

This rings especially true in songs like "Dayzed Inn Daydreams" and "Put Your Number In My Phone" -- where he cultivates an alluring and kinda sleazy vibe as he tries to woo a girl into handing out her digits with promises of romance and domesticity. His trademark croon flutters above a shimmering bed of analog keyboards and little outbursts of noise, and Ariel Pink's smooth and nostalgic sound -- pulling from '60s psychedelia, '70s soft rock, and hazy '80s synth pop -- feels equally pretty... and pretty weird.

For more photos, visit Soundcheck's Tumblr page.

Set List:

  • "Dayzed Inn Daydreams"
  • "Jell-o"
  • "Four Shadows"

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