Feast of Love
Feast of Love brings a direct melodic appeal to Pity Sex's noisy guitar sound. The band surround their songs with warm distortion and hazy feedback, but the melodies remain important enough to keep the record from disappearing into its textures. The contrast between Brennan Greaves and Britty Drake's voices gives the music another useful source of movement.
Wind-Up makes an immediate impression. Its driving guitar part and forward-moving drums give the album a stronger start than a more purely atmospheric opening would provide. The song keeps pushing through the noise, making its melody feel like part of the force rather than something added above it. That meeting of energy and haze is one of the record's best qualities.
Keep brings the two singers' different approaches into focus. Greaves has a more relaxed, less clearly defined delivery, while Drake offers a brighter melodic presence. Their interaction helps the songs feel varied even when the guitar sound remains closely connected. The voices add character without needing to dominate the arrangements.
Hollow Body reduces the instrumental weight. Cleaner guitar and a more exposed vocal provide a change from the surrounding fuzz, showing how much of the album's appeal depends on its softer writing. The contrast is useful, although the record is not always as convincing when its early energy falls away.
The production also has drawbacks. Some of the more forceful material feels compressed rather than sharp, with Smoke Screen losing part of the impact its arrangement suggests. The middle section is less compelling than the opening. Honey Pot restores momentum, but it ends before making the most of that renewed energy.
Fold gives the album a much stronger conclusion. Its slower development and reverberating sound allow the melody to settle, turning the band's softer qualities into a clear strength. It makes an effective final statement for a record whose best moments combine vulnerability with a more physical guitar presence.
Feast of Love does not maintain that balance equally well throughout. Even so, its strongest songs make good use of a familiar set of sounds, with the two voices and clear melodic ideas giving the noise a reason to matter. It is a rewarding introduction to Pity Sex, especially for listeners who want shoegaze textures with a more immediate indie rock centre.
