We Can Have It is the second album from Chicago’s awesomely titled band Pinksqueeze. It’s my first time hearing the power-pop-punk queer band, and the album is the perfect antidote to the sudden arrival of the cold after what felt like a never-ending summer of heatwaves.
The album overall has a very sweet, relaxed vibe, which, for me at least, doesn’t feel like it needs too many spoons to listen to. It’s the kind of music you can switch on in the background, and its dreamy sweetness will make you smile. Having said that, they clearly haven’t been voted one of Chicago’s best punk rock bands twice by the Chicago Reader for no reason, as is evident on ‘Stoner Butch Blues’, one of my personal favourite tracks. Coming in like a cannonball a few songs in, it brings a sassy punk attitude, shouty vocals and a feisty guitar riff, with a sound that reminds me somewhat of bands like Problem Patterns.
This punk sass appears again on ‘The Gay Agenda’ – surely a contender for the woke anthem of the year? Catchy, punky and packed with awesome lyrics: “We can have it, we can have it all – sick of the hate, let’s turn our hate into some goddamn change.”
There are definitely shades of bands like Cheerbleederz in Pinksqueeze’s sound, with that sweet, melodic indie-punk feel, but there’s more going on here than simply catchy tunes and dreamy vocals. The band move between upbeat, sugary power pop and heavier, grungier moments, keeping the album interesting without losing that overall sense of warmth.
‘Springtime’ and ‘The Rock Show’ lean into the sweeter side of things, while ‘Night Sweats’ brings a little more punk attitude without going quite as hard as ‘Stoner Butch Blues’. ‘Sweet Tooth’ and ‘Green’ continue that softer, sweeter sound, making the heavier tracks stand out all the more when they arrive. It’s a nice balance, and means the album never feels as though it’s trying to batter you into submission with noise alone.
There’s a real sense of emotional variety here, too. ‘Rebirth’ slows things down, while ‘Songs About Love (Interlude)’ offers a short spoken-word moment before ‘Die Happy’ brings things to a gentle, sweet conclusion. It’s a reminder that punk doesn’t always have to be loud and shouty to get its message across. Sometimes a softer approach can be just as effective.
And while the sound is often sweet, the message behind We Can Have It is anything but fluffy. Pinksqueeze are a sapphic band who put queer joy, community and representation at the heart of their music, and this album is about wanting a better world and believing that we can create one. There is anger here, as well as vulnerability, but the overall feeling is one of hope and empowerment rather than despair.
That’s perhaps what I like most about the album. It doesn’t suggest that everything is fine or that we should just smile our way through the difficult stuff. Instead, Pinksqueeze seem to be saying that we can acknowledge the things that are wrong, get angry about them, support each other and still make room for joy along the way.
We Can Have It is a lovely introduction to Pinksqueeze for anyone, like me, who is discovering them for the first time. It’s sweet without being sickly, punky without being relentless, and full of catchy songs with something to say. And with tracks like ‘Stoner Butch Blues’ and ‘The Gay Agenda’ providing a little extra bite amongst all that sweetness, there’s plenty here to get your teeth into.
We Can Have It is out now and you can get it on Bandcamp
Pinksqueeze Socials: Instagram/Facebook
Review by Hayley Foster da Silva
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