Jeremy Tuplin – Pink Mirror
Trapped Animal Records – 5 April 2019
As a reviewer, you’re always hoping to find a hidden gem, underrated, bursting with talent, vision, originality and conviction. Jeremy Tuplin may not be quite that discovery, but he comes pretty darn close. His first album I Dreamt I was an Astronaut, which I reviewed for Folk Radio UK, was described as ‘spacefolk’ by Tuplin himself. It’s a credit to his second, Pink Mirror, that coming up with a similarly concise description for the music on it is no easy task.
Psychedelic folk? Indie chamber pop? For music nerds (like me) there are lots of references to various indie music to be found on Pink Mirror, but don’t be fooled: this is an album that stands on its own two feet artistically and musically.
For starters, the recording quality is excellent. Crisp, full and understated, with Turpin’s vocals front and centre, a unique voice, laconic and deadpan, with layers of emotion bubbling beneath. Drums, bass and guitars are minimalist and precise, providing the perfect backing for Tuplin’s songs and voice. To this basic sound are added tasty layers of ear candy, from rippling synths, celestial Fender Rhodes and found sounds to spikey guitars straight out of the Television (NYC’s legendary new wave pioneers) playbook.
The album’s title refers to seeing things through rose-coloured glasses, and most of the songs are observations of “love, desire, vanity, society, the internet and more in the modern world’ ( as stated in the press release). The album has a bittersweet tinge, with Tuplin playing the role of cynical observer, although you suspect underneath it all he’s a secret romantic, using aloofness and sardonic wit to arm himself against the ugliness of the world.
All twelve tracks on the album are excellent, but a few stand out.
“Bad Lover” begins with catchy “mmm-hah”s reminiscent of Cornelius’ pastiche indie pop gem Fantasma before those Tom Verlaine guitars kick in. In the hilarious music video, Tuplin intones his wry lyrics in front of a sparkly stage curtain, while his bandmates act the role of bored hipsters playing their instruments with laconic ennui. A favourite, which includes my favourite lyric of the album, “what’s the cosmos got to do with it?”
In contrast, “Pandora’s Box” starts out as a pretty acoustic waltz, before exploding into a wild cacophony of screaming guitars and fuzzed out drum machines, the sonic equivalent of the mayhem unleashed when Pandora opened the box in the famous ancient Greek myth. “Love’s Penitentiary” is an absolutely gorgeous ballad, with heavenly chiming guitars over a ‘home entertainment’ organ beatbox, and Tuplin lamenting about lost love, appearing at times to slip into a very dark place.
With “Humans”, the psychedelic part really comes into play, veering into Flaming Lips territory, whereas closer “the Beast” brings to mind the delicate beauty of Tim Buckley’s atmospheric melancholy.
Jeremy Tuplin is a unique talent, parlaying different influences into a style all his own, writing catchy tunes that comment sardonically on the world we live in. Pink Mirror establishes him as an idiosyncratic, fiercely independent singer-songwriter with a knack for melodic hooks, wryly observant lyrics and a unique sonic vision.
Pre-Order the album via http://www.trappedanimal.com/categories/pink-mirror