Kids In Glass Houses “Pink Flamingo”

For many readers, the name Kids in Glass Houses will be a real blast from the past. They were a band that were tied up within the whole punk pop scene but never quite got the exposure of some of the American (and actually poorer) bands. We always had a soft spot for them though as they had more of a hint of pop sensibilities than other acts. We were therefore surprised and pleased to find that 10 years later they had reformed and released this album.

Opener “Theme Pink Flamingo” makes the early statement that this is a bit of a shift in style for the band. As we’ve mentioned, they always had a good ear for a pop tune but this song and the album are something else. It’s not just punk pop, songs like “Change Your Mind”, “Rothko Painting” and “(Feels Like) Déjà Vu” are just brilliant eighties influenced pop. It may come as a shock to some but we absolutely love it!

Songs like “Vulnerable” and “Cold Night” have a sophisticated pop sound that isn’t a million miles away from the type of music that has ended up making Harry Styles an international star (and we mean that as a huge compliment). A more likely comparison is the 1975s or maybe Pale Waves at their most commercial on the synth led tracks like “Strawberry Sky”.

They even find the time to throw in some Prince esque funk on “Have A Good Time”. Then there is “Flowers In The Rain” which is just an absolutely supreme ballad. That song has a smooth soul vibe which reminds us of Terence Trent Darby from way back in the day (appreciate we are showing our age with that reference!). We would just love to see what the reaction of their more ‘punk’ fans from back in the day might be to these tracks. Although we hope they embrace them for the brilliant songs they are.

It will be really interesting to see the response to this release, fans of the band should know they had pop influences but they were certainly not to the forefront like they are on this album.  In many ways it almost feels like a new band but should that be surprising given it’s been a decade years since they released music? Anyhow, none of that should matter as this is an awesome album. It may have been released late in the year but it’s definitely a contender for our favourite album of 2024.