Pinhead Gunpowder began in 1990, recording a 7” in 1991. The band last released a 7” in 2008… Until late 2024 when the band returned with the 14-song full-length Unt. So congratulations if you had “we get a new Pinhead Gunpowder record before a new D4 record on your bingo card. (These two bands released a split 7” in 2000 for you trivia hounds out there.)
Unt took me a while too, but not 16 years. More like 2-3 full listens before it started to click. The band’s catalog up until this point was play-it-as-fast-as-you can gritty, yet poppy punk. Previous albums were roughly 10 songs totaling probably 15 minutes each. The new record is a curveball. Perhaps because they say the songwriting was more collaborative than ever, with more voices to feature. Perhaps because age does take a toll and they wanted to slow things down. Either way, this record clocks in at over 30 minutes, with the majority of the songs running about two-and-a-half minutes. Melody is definitely the priority over speed, though the same songwriting voice still persists. That voice is unmistakable on songs like “Unt,” “Oh My,” or “Green,” just a bit slower than the last time. The music explores contemporary suburban culture and the role of art, with an equal dose of character study and introspection -- all through a native Californian point-of-view. So while the new tempo took me a minute, the lyrics are half the pull with Pinhead Gunpowder and it’s kind of a win to be able to hear them more clearly.
“Nothing Ever Happens,” has some Warning-style Billie Joe vocals and “Shine” is almost straight-up pop. “Hola Canada!” feels like a perfect marriage between anthemic Green Day and the global traveling themes explored in the Cometbus zine. Songs like “Draw It In” show the band pushing their melodic approach and, while I prefer the so-called old school speed, it’s nice to get more variety on a record too. The older LPs are great, but they also fly past you with the songs blurring together a bit.
The Unt summary is that this is still unmistakably Pinhead Gunpowder, a band that exists for its members to enjoy their friendship and artistry without giving a damn what I think. The lyrics directly state this more than once, and they’re right. Personally I’d like a little more grit and crackle to the production, as the band has always sort of felt like Green Day’s cooler little brother. The cleaner sound combined with the slower tempo really makes it impossible to ignore comparisons to Billie Joe’s mega popular band. But while the vocal stylings are similar to Green Day, it’s still clear that Pinhead Gunpowder is something else -- something kind of similar, but still refined to basements, garages, and doing their thing just beyond the spotlight.
