Pinact - Stand Still and Rot (2015)

The Scottish duo Pinact may be deeply in debt to the noisy guitar rock of the '90s, but that doesn't stop them from sounding great in 2015. A quick look at the record collection of singer/guitarist Corrie Gillies and drummer Chris McCrory would no doubt uncover many Nirvana, Sonic Youth, Teenage Fanclub, and Vaselines titles, probably some Hüsker Dü and Pixies, too. That's true of a lot of bands, most of whom can't quite seem to escape the thrall of their heroes and create something new and/or lively out of the sounds they love so dearly. Pinact are an exception and Stand Still and Rot is a bracing blast of noise and energy that's full of emotion and sports some super catchy songs. Will it make anyone forget Nirvana? No, but it will give fans of the band and the sound something new to add to their collection. Even if old timers aren't into it, at least Pinact give newfound fans of the '90s a band to champion as their own flannel flag bearers. Songs like the throat-shredding "Negative Thoughts and Jealous" and the breathless "Brew" are little fireballs of sound and motion, introspective tracks like "Limbs" or the poppy "Up and Down" provide a nice soundtrack for bummer afternoons, and just about every song is built for singing along to in some fashion. Pair the snappy songs with a ferocious sound where both guys sound like they won't stop until every last bit of usefulness is wrung out of their gear, and Pinact have delivered an impressive debut album. A little more variation in sound from song to song, or more songs like "Novembore" that stretch out and breathe a little, or a couple more absolute gems like "Anxiety," and the album would have been close to brilliant. As it is now, it tops out at great, which is a fine way to kick things off.