“Pink Shabab’s When You Said You Were Leaving Again is yet another immaculately tangled earworm from the twisted musical mind of London-based songwriter/bassist Joe Carvell. Propelled by the clean and clear production of Emma (Astrobal) Mario, whose talents have also graced releases by Laetitia Sadier Source Ensemble and Nina Savary, the track is marked by shards of brilliant colour which pierce through the sunrise-grey, high-tech surface. Falling into a genre of postmodern songwriting I would call the Deconstructivist Breakup Anthem, the song’s four minutes and three seconds breeze by in what feels like half that time. The compulsive change-ups of Carvell’s beguilingly complex structure proceed in three sections which abut each other like cliffs before a soda pop ocean bobbling with toy boats. Beginning like some lost Jazz/House Music hybrid from an obscure early-nineties compilation, the song wastes little time developing its dance-floor bona fides before an abrupt about-face begins a half-time section with diary-like spoken word vocals. “You’ll forget all about me,” he intones – “I can’t be just friends.” This day at the beach just turned a shade darker. Videogame cloud thunderheads appear on the horizon in the form of synthesized squiggles and a persistent Rhodes flourish, forming the sparse wallpaper of the middle section, which then leads into a substantive third act featuring all of the above plus a fast-moving plucked bassline and high, plaintive guitar notes. As the song disappears into a haze of echo, the listener is left wondering: were these three discrete sections all part of the same song? Yes, and it makes for irresistible listening.”

-Chris A. Cummings (Marker Starling)