The indefatigable Chicago-based power-pop craftsman Kai Slater wears multiple hats: he belongs to Lifeguard and also crafts his own glittering ’60s-inspired gems under the moniker Sharp Pins. He excels at it. Slater, who is in his early twenties, issued the standout Sharp Pins album Balloon Balloon Balloon last year. Since then, Sharp Pins have contributed to the Red Xerox compilation, reissued the 2023 tape Mod Mayday 23, and released the standalone single “Saturday Sun.” Early next year, a new Sharp Pins EP is on the horizon.
The forthcoming Sharp Pins record carries the moderately cryptic title Electric My Icebox. It will feature six tracks, including “Saturday Sun” and the brand-new “How Can I Explain What She Does To Me?” The latter unfurls as a beautifully woozy jangle that evokes the mid-’60s moment when a multitude of American garage bands sought to imitate the sound of the British Invasion acts they idolized. But it might come across as even more of a genuine British Invasion track, since Kai Slater proves to be a sharper mimic than many of his predecessors. Have a listen below.
TRACKLIST:
01 “Electric My Icebox”
02 “How Can I Explain What She Does To Me?”
03 “Saturday Sun”
04 “(You’ve Got An) Elephant Eye”
05 “In Love With The Frozen Girl”
06 “Umbrella Man”
The Electric My Icebox EP is slated for release on 1/15 via K/Perennial.
