Wild Pink return with sixth album ‘Still Coming Down’, a record that finds John Ross blending existential tales with celestial stories and bringing to life some charismatic characters while also poking fun at the listless nature of consumerism. He also takes inspiration from the grunge movement that soundtracked his teenage years, recording the album in one week and vocal takes in two to three takes…

‘Box Store’, one of the lead singles, takes you into a melancholic space right away with guitars at the forefront along with nostalgic memories of buying TV and ‘watching old movies from the late ’90s’. ‘Round of Applause at the End of the World’ finds John tackling the rise of misinformation and conspiracy theories and how they can take over entire communities – but with a touch of Frightened Rabbit-style soul searching: ‘I don’t know what my idea of fun is anymore’. The title track follows with anthemic indie guitar hooks and profound sensibility as he recalls drinking rum and Coke on a desert.

‘Like Water’ has a more acoustic sound, but with powerful drums, as John looks back on tragedies amidst a swathe of synths. ‘Dead for a Sec’ is another song that finds John trying to make sense of life itself, recalling Eels at their most direct and self-effacing: ‘I don’t know. I keep my head down’. ‘500 is the New 250’ brings to life some Hold Steady-esque flawed characters, while the closing ‘Relaxing, Special Interests’ has a hypnotic and swirling guitar line running through as John looks forward to having a lie-down while ‘The boys have a caper in Cambridge tonight’. It finishes with a sudden flourish.

‘Still Coming Down’ is a record that finds Wild Pink on the rise once again.