Pipas - Bitter Club

by Laura Branch

published: 28 / 3 / 2004

Label: Matinee Recordings
Format: CDS

intro

"Eerily bittersweet" and "nerve-wracking" indiepop from much acclaimed Pipas

Once upon a time I would have gladly joined the ranks of those who superficially coo about how sweet and gentle the music of Pipas is. Well, this worm has turned! Think again! They are in fact the most terrifying band in existence who’ll make the buttons on your vintage Ebay cardigan quake. This is not cotton candy indie pop. Oh no. In fact, I find them faintly sinister. You may scoff and throw your fondant fancy onto the floor in disgust at my heretical words, but I rather enjoy being a heretic actually. So there. I don’t find Pipas sweet and gentle kittens AT ALL. Singer Lupe Nunez-Fernandez is an enchanting siren singing irresistible songs that will lead to your downfall! Mariners of the world – beware! Fill thine ears with beeswax! Oh alright, I might be exaggerating (just) a little but Pipas do seem fond of the eerily bittersweet (one of my top ten favourite oxymoronic juxtapositions). Whilst Lupe deals up some of those things called Harsh Truths (“love just fades away so why are you feeling sentimental about it?”) they continue ba-ba-ba-ing in the background, which strikes me as both appealing and ominous! But, quite frankly, Pipas could probably put the stations of the London Underground to music and we’d all still be fawning over it. In fact, that sounds like an interesting proposition to me – get to it Pipas! 'The Bitter Club E'P is all rather enjoyable but in the way that a nerve-wracking first date is rather than the uncomplicated short-lived thrill of, for example, a slice of swiss roll – and there’s a place in our hearts for both of them.