Album Review: Pet Deaths - 'unhappy ending'
London two-piece Pet Deaths follow-up their 2019 debut ‘To the Top of the Hill and Roll…’ with an equally sombre second album ‘unhappy ending’ which cements the band as a gifted but possibly one-dimensional alternative duo.
Graeme Martin’s gentle vocals on opener ‘all the things you said you were (I don’t believe in ghosts)’ are reminiscent of Death Cab for Cutie’s Benjamin Gibbard in their fragile and heart on sleeve delivery. It’s an absorbing start which will be the perfect aperitif for Elbow and Midlake fans when the band join them on tour later in the year.
For a duo, Pet Deaths cover an awful lot of ground. A perfect example of this being on track two ‘don’t die on me now (loser).’ There’s so much activity in the background of the track ranging from exuberant saxophones to random baby noises. In any other setting this could be deemed unbearable, but on here it sounds pitch-perfect.
There’s something darkly amusing about a song which sounds like the opening to ‘Mad World’ with its heartbreaking isolated piano having the equally joyful title ‘not everyone cares (if you die).’ It doesn’t really pick up the pace so if you’re feeling a bit fragile, I’d maybe not sit on this one for too long.
The songs might be a bit bleak, but you certainly can’t accuse the band of not having fun with their song titles. ‘NOW that’s what I call cheap talk!’, ‘praise cilla black’, and ‘pretty mistake (in the cul-de-sac)’ are a trio of songs which I can I can comfortably say without the need for a Google parachute are one of a kind. There’s no doubting the band’s musical craft but the never-ending storm clouds do become quite wearing at times and it’s hard to find anything resembling a light at the end of the tunnel with any of these. Even in a live setting, it might be a struggle to find any euphoria in the Sigur Rós sounding sadness of it all.
‘swingtime’ has got a bit more hope to it with its everything but the kitchen sink ending, but it still doesn’t quite break through the storm clouds.
I don’t want to piss on anyone’s chips, and I’ll hold my hands up and say I’ve probably been overcritical when I’m not the intended audience. The songs are well thought-out and musically the duo are clearly skilled at what they do, I just feel it’s very downbeat and one-paced which makes it incredibly hard to come away from ‘unhappy ending’ with much feeling other than intense sorrow. It’s a similar experience to going on holiday and enjoying some of the scenery and the odd wild saxophone busker, but just feeling an overwhelming sense of regret that it rained solidly and your partner looked sad all week.
Words by Richard Cobb
