Album Review: Kids In Glass Houses - ‘Pink Flamingo’
After going on an indefinite hiatus in 2014, the Welsh 5-piece, Kids In Glass Houses are back and releasing new music for the first time in eleven years with a brand new album, Pink Flamingo.
A lot has changed since the band announced their hiatus in 2014, and it is evident throughout their forthcoming album, Pink Flamingo, which will be album number five for the Welsh group. Kids In Glass Houses burst onto the scene back in 2007 and despite always having an underlying hint of pop, they ended up being devoured by punk-rock fans from the beginning, sharing the stage with the likes of Paramore, Fall Out Boy, and You Me At Six during those seven years. That being said, their final album before the break-up, Peace, was undeniably more pop-punk than punk-rock.
Eleven years later, Kids In Glass Houses are embracing a new sound with Pink Flamingo, transporting us directly back to the 80s. To paraphrase their final single before the album’s release, the band certainly seemed to Have A Good Time with the creation of this record. It’s punchy, fun, bold and despite feeling “new”, it without a doubt carries all of the traits of the younger Kids In Glass Houses we fell in love with way back when.
The opening track Theme from Pink Flamingo sets the tone for what lies ahead on the rest of the album. Lead singer Aled Phillips begins with “It’s been a minute, let me find my place,” which can be interpreted as a reference to the fact that it really has been a minute for him and the rest of the band. And although they are well-loved by fans, they are going to have to find their place again with this new sound. Remaining heavy on the guitars and drums, there is a softness to the band now and Theme from Pink Flamingo shows it. It’s an infectious tune and the perfect introduction to the band’s new direction.
Change Your Mind follows a similar suit, with not-so-subtle undertones of Bruce Springsteen’s classic, Dancing In The Dark, yet older fans might hear slight familiarities with their track Diamond Days, from In Gold Blood. The saxophone coming through at the end of Change Your Mind is a sweet addition and not the first or last time we will hear it throughout the record, and it certainly feels like it belongs on Pink Flamingo. It feels like it is more than just a cool addition or experiment now, it is in fact a requirement for their new sound.
Committing to this new direction they are on, Kids In Glass Houses have included some solid tracks resembling the classic 80s power ballad. Vulnerable is the first ballad-like track on the record. It’s a song fans of The 1975 will sure be fond of, as it shares a similar vibe to their tracks Looking For Somebody (To Love) and The Sound. Whilst A Ghost To Live With, with the subtle finger-picking of the guitar and the piano coming in behind it demonstrates the range of Aled Phillips’ vocals as he sings “I don’t hate you yet, but I am getting there.” Flowers In The Rain will transport you into the slow dance scene from your favourite 80s classic rom-com. Aled’s sultry vocals follow the bassline and strings perfectly, yet he adds some more grit and depth to his voice as he closes the song with “and I want to love you so long.”
Have A Good Time, the final single released before the album is one of the stand-out tracks. Fans of Prince will most definitely hear his influences throughout this song. If Prince’s Raspberry Beret and The 1975’s Love Me had a baby, it would be Have A Good Time, and that’s not a bad thing. Phillips said of the track that he was “gassed that we wrote something that people can strut through ASDA car park to.” And that’s exactly what Have A Good Time will make you want to do. It’s a fun, catchy pop track that will have you dancing around whatever area you’re in while listening to it.
Closing out the album is Human Touch. The track starts as a ballad, shedding light on how in this day and age, we are constantly seeking dopamine hits through doom-scrolling and searching for “happiness hidden in a camera roll.” Manipulating the vocals to sound electronic towards the end of the song hints at our dependence on the digital world. The unique track feels like the perfect ending to this new side of Kids In Glass Houses, as the band reminds us throughout that we “just need a human touch.”
Listening to Pink Flamingo, one can’t help but feel nostalgic for the band that came before and excited for the band that has come back together after so long. The album is sure to please old and new fans alike. The members of Kids In Glass Houses have changed and grown over the last eleven years and it shows throughout the album. Where once they were unsure of their sound and where they wanted to take it, Pink Flamingo now feels like a statement from the band. This is exactly where they want to be. We’re entering a new era of Kids In Glass Houses.
Words by Angela English
