I was familiar with Ariel Pink (the group title seems perfunctory) before, having a few of his albums. This one has solicited much whining from the hipster contingent because it hasn't got the analogue-DIY sound of all previous output, and it's attracted plenty of mainstream press attention. Boo hoo.
In short though I agree with you James, it had a kind of detatched disco-chic vibe about it that made me unsure at first, but it's a real grower. What a mad and idiosyncratic songwriter he is - and tbh he was crying out for some professional production to flesh out the ambitious arrangements. It's not overproduced either and I imagine the much-talked-about '70s feel' could be chalked up to
this guy being behind the boards as well as Pink's cultural nostalgia. Some tracks in fact still sound like they're refracted through pink shades - 'Beverly Kills' has plenty of hiss on it. Should please the fans.
However I've still only been listening to it on and off for a week and I'm not ready to choose between 'excellent' and 'very good' yet... =P