Ciara O’Flynn’s distinctive vocal style is notable in the song Sesame from the album Sweet Spot. Lyrics like “This will only work if you let go,” and “Trust me, I know the way to go” become somewhat evocative when the record is listened to in full. However, the debut album of Pinhole, the group made up of O’Flynn and synth player Mark McLoughlin, suffers from a somewhat haphazard approach that can feel like it might lead to nowhere as opposed to new and innovative places. As the age-old adage says, trust is not a given, but something that must be earned.
While there’s a certain appeal to improvisation, this isn’t the same as providing lukewarm praise for this duo from Cork and Dingle. McLoughlin and O’Flynn aren’t short of creative concepts, but struggle to condense their extended tracks into a digestible pop format. Pinhole is but one project for the pair: O’Flynn earns her keep as an archaeologist, while McLoughlin has a career in documentary filmmaking. In this experimental musical endeavour, their goal is to “produce unearthly music as a way to navigate their shared experiences,” with compositions touching on a range of subjects from the marriage law and feminism, to the challenges of ageing and tributes to tragically lost acquaintances.
These topics are heavy and sometimes lofty, but when Pinhole’s music hits the right note – such as their eponymous track, with its shaky bohemian vibe not dissimilar to early Goldfrapp and Portishead – they truly shine. Tracks like I Want Desire, with its electronic pulse, or 6 Kenley Avenue with its bold crescendo are both engaging. Meanwhile, the orchestrated swagger and playful melodrama of Oh No bring to mind Sparks or Mercury Rev. But the duo’s raw ambition, or maybe their novice status, can at times be their downfall. Many tracks, like Pinhole or Dust Mote, exhibit a sense of incompleteness or appear too self-indulgent in their overblown aspirations for a grand finale. The upshot is an album that has promising aspects but ends up being a bit self-absorbed to be wholly persuasive.