For the first time in a while, The Pink Album presents Unloveds music free from connections to any television shows or movies -- except the imaginary ones their songs suggest so richly. An unapologetically indulgent double album with plenty of guest stars, the trios third full-length examines love from every angle. "How good it feels, how bad it hurts," as Jade Vincent sighs on "Theres No Way," and just how terrifying it can be. If The Pink Album was a film, it would probably be a horror movie: shrouded in gauzy reverb, "I Dont Like You Anymore" falls somewhere between a breakup and a seance, while "Foolin" adds a dose of camp with its creature-feature organ riff. Later, Vincent sounds truly haunted on "Walk On, Yeah," the kind of apocalyptic torch song Unloved pulls off better than just about anyone. As expected from a group with two award-winning composers (Keefus Ciancia and David Holmes), the trio boasts an encyclopedic knowledge of pop music. The way Unloved use this knowledge remains stunning, whether they leave behind their fondness for retro sounds on the swirling strings and electronics on opening track "Rainbrose" or subvert nostalgia for their own purposes with the Suicide-meets-Shangri-Las thrill ride of "Girl Cant Help It" or the shuffling glam rock beat underpinning "Mothers Been a Bad Girl." Driven by a whip-cracking beat, "Sorry, Baby"s sexy electro is a standout, as is the lush, unguarded ballad "Ever," and "Number in My Phone," a piece of tear-stained Bacharach pop updated for the cell phone age. "Love Experiment," a duet with E?tienne Daho where Vincent channels Julie London over synth frissons teetering between fear and ecstasy, is intriguing, and the way Jon Spencers howls fade into the background as Vincent gives him the kiss-off on "Call Me When You Have a Clue" flips expectations cleverly. Unloved bring in Jarvis Cocker for "Accountable," which gives the work of Lee Hazlewood and Nancy Sinatra a murderous twist, and reunite with Raven Violet, with whom they worked on the 2020 single "Strange Effect," on the sullen synth pop of "Turn of the Screw," all of which find Unloved pushing pops boundaries with vivid results. ~ Heather Phares

Rovi