Originally based in Vancouver, BC, Stephen McBean has been best known for his involvement in the Black Mountain collective, which coincidentally also involved his band, Pink Mountaintop. But now based in Los Angeles, McBean recruited the likes of Annie Hardy, J. Mascis, Rob Barbato (of Darker My Love, the Fall, and Cass McCombs), Steve Kille (Dead Meadow), Daniel Allaire (Brian Jonestown Massacre) and Greg Foreman (Cat Power and Delta 72) for the newest version of Pink Mountaintops. 

Get Back the band’s forthcoming new effort is slated for an April 28th release through Jagjaguwar Records, and the album’s opening track and latest single “Ambulance City” starts off with wobbling synths, followed by angular guitars and lyrics initially sung with a laconic drawl before turning into a ragged, hoarse drawl. Propelled by a tight rhythm, the track sonically reminds me of Evil Heat-era Primal Scream – but far sleazier, far scuzzier (and yet it has an artful, crafted sheen). 

The video, shot by Olivia Jaffe came about after McBean had heard Jaffe drunkenly brag about her “state of the art” 80s video camera. So the video has that grainy, washed out color palette of old VHS tapes that anyone who grew up in the 80s would remember with a bit of loving nostalgia.