Pina Kollars is an Austrian native, who re-located to West Cork seven years ago. Her music reflects this transition: one can detect the thawing of Alpine cool in her resolutely cheery songwriting, giving way to the blissful security of the Irish countryside.
Guess You Got It is, for the most part, a tight collection of breezy, likeable pop-rock. Pina’s ear for melody never lets up, and the arrangements are stylishly detailed – rich beds of piano, strings and rippling electric guitar. The opening two tracks set the tone nicely – ‘I Was Walking’ is a delightfully summery scene-setter, its acoustic intro building towards a crescendo of bright harmonies and handclaps. ‘Brand New Face’ is a jaunty, infectious piano number, with some resplendent horns for added colour.
There are a couple of duff moments: ‘Burning’ is pretty, but too sickly sweet for regular consumption, while the hip-hop scratching on ‘Butterfly’ feels innapropriate and out-of-place.
These unsuccessful diversions aside, Pina barely puts a foot wrong throughout Guess You Got It. And yet, it still fails to make for a wholly satisfactory end-to-end listen. Despite its obvious accomplishment, Guess You Got It lacks one key factor in the album experience – dynamics. Pina hits upon a politely up-tempo groove on the opening track, which she rarely deviates from.
Ultimately, this album feels like a pretty-but-unchallenging walk through flat Irish countryside. Some of the breathtaking peaks and troughs of the Austrian landscape are required, if Pina is to fulfil her potential.