“Tainted” by Pink Turns Blue – An Album Review

 

      Our attraction to the “Tainted” album freed us from the constraints of three self-imposed reluctances. First, Indie Obsessive has a strong preference to feature singles over albums. Why listen to a weak track from an album when a strong single from another band is sitting in the queue? Second, while we appreciate the Post Punk genre, there is a reluctance to post songs from the genre because they don’t fit the expectations of the blog’s regular readers. But the most formidable hurdle is the reluctance to post recently released music from a band that formed decades ago. While a band can remain Indie-relevant for decades, the members of this blog particularly enjoy discovering new bands and shining light on the unknowns.
 
       Pink Turns Blue was formed in 1985. The current members of the Berlin-based band are Mic Jogwer (vocals, guitar), Reubi Walter (bass, keyboards), and Paul Richter (drums).  Quoting the press materials around “Tainted:”
  “On ‘Tainted’, the band added an electronic element to their classical vocals, guitar, bass and drums. The album title itself relates to the state of our world: climate change, its effects, the reaction to it, the split within society, isolation, health risks, and financial uncertainty. Mic Jogwer explains: ‘When I travel the world, I encounter two types of people. Many are sad and void of hope that mankind is able to change. Others just don’t care or are sarcastic about just everything. I guess this makes me angry. I see all those toddlers with their lives before them, playing and laughing and inheriting a world in disarray just because of the greediness and irresponsibility of their parents. A call to try so much harder! Instead of using excuses for missing or inadequate action, mankind really has to get its shit together – now.’”
 
     “There Must Be So Much More” isn’t a guitar-driven single until its final 75 seconds, but the instrument is the feature that sets the song apart from others that are destined to be in “Best of 2021” setlists at the end of this year. The hook that begins the single resurfaces periodically, including during the guitar-layered conclusion. Still, there is so much more. The vocals are appealing and the piano that initiates the bridge at 2:37 is attention-grabbing.
 
     “There Must Be So Much More” by Pink Turns Blue

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Bandcamp Purchase of “Tainted:” 

https://pinkturnsblue.bandcamp.com/album/tainted
 
Lyrics of “There Must Be So Much More” by Pink Turns Blue
Your smile can cure me
Your kiss can heal me
So give it a try now
Come on
 
You wanna be careful
It’s so important
Ya need be friends again
With you
 
So stop being cross now
And stop all fighting
Been sad for so long now
So long
 
We need to have faith in us
We need to be good to us
Cause love is so precious
To me
 
There must be so much more
There must be so much more
 
So clear with hindsight
So easy inside
But often we’re sorry
Again
 
Do better next time
If there’s a next time
We catch our fall
So come on
 
There must be so much more
So much more
There must be so much more
So much more
There must be so much more
 
You’ve caught me all naked
You’ve caught me all naked
[Repeating]
There must be so much more
[Repeating]

     The intro and chorus of “So Why Not Save The World” feature piano, while instrumentation during the verses varies. But throughout, the single has a drive and the vocals are determined. The song carries a message and every element of the single is committed to that message, “I can feel icebergs melt away / I can hear whales in despair / I can see a world crying goodbye.”

     “So Why Not Save The World” by Pink Turns Blue

Lyrics of “So Why Not Save The World” by Pink Turns Blue
I can hear voices inside
Understand sadness at times
I can see mist coming down
I can see we’re rotten inside
I can hear sighing around
Fallen angels on the ground
 
Walking straight into night
With no angel in sight
Trying to save our dark souls
Walking straight into light
Wait for the soothing to rise
Clean our rotten black hearts
 
I can see kids in apathy
I can understand humanity
I can hear the message from God
I can see our time has expired
Having been ignorant for long
I can feel the end of it all
 
Walking straight into night
With no angel in sight
Trying to save our dark souls
Walking straight into light
Wait for the soothing to rise
Clean our rotten black hearts
 
So why not save the world
[Repeating]
 
I can see the world turn to dust
I can hear we’re asking for more
I can see fairies disappear
I can feel icebergs melt away
I can hear whales in despair
I can see a world crying goodbye
 
Walking straight into night
With no angel in sight
Trying to save our dark souls
Walking straight into light
Wait for the soothing to rise
Clean our rotten black hearts
[Repeat verse while layered with “So why not save the world”]

 
      “Not Even Trying” is another song about saving the world, but in the form of a commentary on the attitude of humans upon the condition of the planet.

      “Not Even Trying” by Pink Turns Blue

Lyrics of “Not Even Trying”
So happy to kill ourselves
So happy to rob ourselves
So happy to use excuses
That is us
 
We knew we had to change
As a matter of life and death
We still missed every chance
To improve
 
We knew it all along
Knew exactly what was wrong
We knew it was too late
To recover
 
It’s man against the world
Avoiding a better future
Avoiding any wisdom
That is us
 
We’re not even trying
We’re not even trying
– to save our world
– to save our world
 
Why go for a better option?
As we still can trick ourselves
And blame it on the system
We’re clever as fuck
 
We’re fighting for resources
Trying to get advantage
There is nobody left to rob
But ourselves
 
We’re not even trying [Repeat]
 – to save the world [Repeating]
 
Getting ready to go now
– to the other side
[Repeat]
 
We’re not even trying [Repeat]
 – to save the world [Repeating]

      “Brave New World” is a song that reminds us of the story of the frog who is unaware that water is increasing to a boil because the temperature is rising slowly. The song recurringly increases in intensity, but each increase is sufficiently subtle that it is missed unless you’re listening closely. The first jump occurs at 1:23.

      “Brave New World” by Pink Turns Blue

Lyrics of “Brave New World” by Pink Turns Blue
When I sold my soul for yours
Was hoping for nothing but finding some true love
We’ve been travelling on a common path
I’m full of bliss, I’m bonded forever
 
Never reaching a point of remorse
Walking hand in hand towards horizon
One happy day and all feels great
It’s so alright wherever we’re stranded
 
In a brave new world
Never touched by anyone
[Repeated]
 
Eternity blessed by heaven
It wasn’t deserved but still a fortune
We need to hold on and enjoy
Addicted at start more than we could take
 
In a brave new world
Never touched by anyone
[Repeated]
 
Jumping for more into the light
Guided by love deep inside
Not known this before another life
It feels alright now right on time
 
Our brave new world
Never touched by anyone
[Repeated]
 

     All ten tracks may be streamed from Spotify: