New Jersey’s Pinegrove have quietly been building a name for themselves, mixing emotion and alt-country into their indie rock. New release Marigold is their most contemplative yet.
Pieces like opener “Dotted Line” give a relax to their emo-country, while “Phase” brings uplift, and “No Drugs” is a great take on no-quite-quitting. Singer/songwriter Evan Stephens Hall has simplicity to his work (other than “Dotted Line” and “The Alarmist”, all the songs have one-word titles), straightforward in his feelings without coming off as too pleading. The amount of country is also well leveled, not so much to be twangy Nashville, but enough to distinguish from generic emo-rock.
Fitting with the band’s career, Marigold won’t out-and-out grab the listener on first spin, may even come off as boring to today’s ADD world, but quietly grounds one in its world.
