Secret Cities

Pink Graffiti (Western Vinyl)

By Emily Becker
Published: July 23rd, 2010 | 1:00pm

Charlie Gokey and Marie “MJ” Parker, two thirds of Secret Cities, met at band camp in their early teens, and proceeded to trade song ideas across the North Dakota prairie until eventually releasing the Zurich EP in 2005 under the moniker White Foliage. With the addition of drummer Alex Abnos, the trio’s sound continued to evolve as they spent the next four years crafting Pink Graffiti, their debut LP as Secret Cities.

Their signature sound features atypical song structures that are heavily textural and layered (“Pink City,” “Boyfriends,” “Vamos a la Playa”) and bend toward moody drama (“Slacker,” “Pink Graffiti Pt. 2”). A handful of songs successfully explore poppier aspects of the band’s sonic palette, as well. “Pink Graffiti Pt. 1” blends stomping drums with various hook-filled melodies until strings resolve and contain the different free-flowing musical threads. Parker’s vocals on “Color” play up the band’s lighter side, along with a more recognizable verse-chorus-verse song structure and a cheerful, whistled melody.

On album opener “Pink City,” Gokey sings “We had a lot to say,” and while that’s true, it isn’t the whole story. Despite the obvious care that went into creating Pink Graffiti, all of the band’s ideas aren’t completely fleshed out. There is something nascent about Secret Cities that makes one think their best work is yet to come.

__

Secret Cities MySpace page

Western Vinyl