photo: Hester den Boer
Amsterdam indie band Chinup have the nerve to kick off their album proclaiming that "it's all down hill from here". They are wrong about that. Shine Bright Like A Diamond is a celebration of jangling pop songs about the supernatural, the art of seduction, verified sellers, card games and different tastes in music. Recorded in one go at Jan Schenk's studio the album sounds like the band is performing right in front of the listener, with happy mistakes and all.
They are lo-fi by design and swimming next to the mainstream. Some of the songs could be mistaken for a long lost Television demo (The Book Of Revelations), an Alex Chilton solo song (We're Not Moving) or a Pixies B-side (The Art Of Trickery). Also: kudos for reviving the Neue Welle by including a song in German. Die Regeln des Spiels should be included on a mixtape when you are heading South down the Autobahn on your way to Switzerland of Italy.
Chinup:
Harmen Kuiper: lead vocals, rhythm guitar
Maarten de Mink: lead guitar, backing vocals
Jarry Porsius: bass, backing vocals
Max Bergman: drums, vocals
Shine Bright Like A Diamond is a released thru My Intentions Are Not Records. Buy it from their website.
Tracks:- Devils
- The Book Of Revelations
- Die Regeln des Spiels
- Actual Reality
- S.O.N.D.R.A.
- The R
- We're Not Moving
- The Art Of Trickery
- Going In For The Kill
- Bleak But Bona Fide
- Traces Of Nuts
» chinthefuckup.com
