Pinn Dropp

Good evening once again fellow progheads!  The search for all things prog is ready for spring and anxiously awaiting what the "season of new beginnings" will bestow on the prog faithful.  This week The Closet Concert Arena takes the red-eye for a long journey to Eastern Europe to check out another first-timer here in the prog garden.  Pinn Dropp refers to themselves in the simplest of terms; a "progressive rock band from Warsaw, Poland."  OK, the bio isn't exactly earth shattering, but I learned long ago to never judge an album by its jacket cover...


The buffet opens with a serving of Kingdom of Silence. A beautiful piano opening slides fluently through the headphones, almost concealing the depths Pinn Dropp takes you to with this piece.  Vocals smooth like Montrachet chardonnay seep into your frontal lobe as the tempo begins to rise; an energy starts to burst forth that emits top notes of Marillion.  Excitement wrapped in an understated glow...Pinn Dropp is like that carnival ride that speeds up so it can slow down--designed to keep you guessing as to what is up around the bend...

Next up is a song that cuts right through you without leaving a mark, Unresolved.  Opening as if it were a throwback, the song quickly bleeds into today and picks up a little steam.  Pinn Dropp reflects The Tangent somewhat on this cut, and perhaps a touch of the Alan Parsons Project oozes through as well.  This is a band capable of wearing many hats as they stroll across the prog garden, taking from each section just enough to create a sound they can call their own.  Riding this song to its fade-out as the sea rolls across your ears acoustically and your feet figuratively, you see the canvas filled with a brightness that more naturally accompanies the outdoors.  The hues are brighter, the contrasts more subtle, and everything flows smoothly like ganache rolling down the sides a chocolate torte...decadent and rich, yet you don't feel stuffed.

Liner Notes...Pinn Dropp hails from Warsaw, Poland and is a concept originally brought to life by one Piotr Sym, the band's composer and electric/acoustic guitarist.  In 2015 Piotr was joined by Mateusz Jagiello on vocals, bass guitar, and keyboards, and Dariusz Piwowarczyk on drums, samples, and programming.  The trio put together their self-titled debut which was released in December.  Last month bassist Pawel Wolinski joined the band making them a quartet.  The band is currently working on their next project which will hopefully be a full length LP.

To learn more about Pinn Dropp and purchase the eponymous DP/EP, check out the website
Pinn Dropp bandcamp and of course the band's Facebook page Pinn Dropp FB.  You will also find Pinn Dropp on Twitter @PinnDropp.  These guys are new to the prog garden and with just one DP/EP on ol' the resume, could certainly use all the support you can muster...



Rounding out the review this week is the third cut cut from the EP called Cyclothymia.  Once again the music opens in grand style...Pinn Dropp is very good at getting you to notice as they enter the room.  On this cut the vocals have a more prominent role--as do the keyboards.  Although they stay pretty much within the brighter colors of the spectrum, the background has a bit of a sullen gray to contrast the glare.  Piotr cuts through the fog and clouds that blur our vision with his opulent compositions.  This piece rides the mood elevator like a storm chaser on the outskirts of that elusive tornado...

The ability to paint from both sides of the prog artist's brush--elegant visuals paired with brilliant music--is something I don't find in the prog garden every week.  While it isn't a prerequisite, it is a treat I savor once stumbled across.

Pinn Dropp is a band whose next album is something to look forward to, not only because the first is just three songs, but also because they splayed out across the prog garden in such a way as to pique my curiosity...so much for being just a "progressive rock band from Warsaw, Poland."  The prog garden once again proves its robust ability to support many tangents of the genre and continues to encourage new growth.  While some genres of music under the wide umbrella that is rock 'n' roll flounder, sit stagnant, and have even shown signs of withdrawal, prog marches forward like a brave chameleon strutting right past its predator to reproduce another day.


And that, as they say, fellow progheads, is a wrap.  The search for all things prog continues to enlighten and educate (at least me) and uncover some great music in the process.  The adrenaline rush is in the search; the satisfaction is in the quality of the discovery.  This never gets old, so the journey continues...until next time..