I can’t even look at the band name Pintandwefall without thinking about British one hit wonders Chumbawamba, their song ‘Tubthumping’, its repeated refrain “I get knocked down but I get up again” and their depositing what I think was a pint of bitter all over politician John Prescott at the Brit Awards.
But I do them a great disservice. The four Finns, who have named themselves, Ramones or Spice Girls-like as ‘Pints’ – Cute, Dumb, Crazy and Tough – are much more sophisticated than the Burnley punk rockers could ever dream of being and both collectively and individually over 15 years (within the bands Ruusut, Risto, Kynnet and RULES and also as solo performers in The Hearing, Ninni Forever Band and KO:MI) have established a considerable body of work including six albums of their own. A ‘powerful reverse super group’ as the PR describes them. I couldn’t have put it better.
They like spontaneity and this track comes from an album, ‘Seventh Baby’, set for release on 25th February 2022, which was recorded in just six days last July. Many of the songs on it dealt with different aspects of everyday life written during ‘lockdown’ with “an absurd twist to them.”
They say it ended up becoming more guitar-driven than their previous albums, “with some soft shoegaze moods in the mix.”
The song here, ‘Aihai’, “is about missing someone a lot, and wanting to ask them over because it’s been so long since you’ve seen them or anyone really, but you know you get all babbly and annoying when you’re excited or have been by yourself for too long so now you’re worried if they come over you’ll just ruin it somehow and they never want to spend time with you ever again.”
I reckon someone needs to take a stress pill but on the other hand that scenario will be one that many people will recognise. I notice there’s another track on the album called ‘Home Alone, Sane’. That should have been Insane.
I’d be tempted to call this garage rock except there’s no way it was ever recorded in any garage. There’s such crispness about Cute Pint’s vocal, the drums and the (for the most part) mixed down guitar that I have to acknowledge the contribution of producer/mixer Liisa Tani and masterer Pekka Tuomi. Most of it could be playing live in your living room while the guitar could be in the house next door.
It’s a bundle of energy from start to finish, not quite as I remember Pintandwefall (although it was a while ago I last reviewed them), with plenty of melody, great harmonising and a distinct flavour of Siouxsie and the Banshees on speed about them.
More than anything it’s a song to be played live, par excellence. Let’s hope we get the chance to hear it soon.
Incidentally, I was sure ‘Aihai’ would translate from Finnish as “alright mate, how you doing” or something like that. Mr Google tells me it means ‘Aihai’. Disappointment.
‘Aihai’ was released on the 14th January 2022 on the Soliti label, as will be the album (which is both vinyl and digital).
(Picture: Hetta Inari Komi).
Find them on:
Website: http://www.pintandwefall.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Pintandwefall.YEAH
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Pintandwefall
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pintandwefall/
Pintandwefall are:
Lead vocals, Electric Guitar: Cute Pint
Electric Guitar, vocals: Dumb Pint
Bass Guitar, vocals: Crazy Pint
Drums, vocals: Tough Pint.
