IN REVIEW: Pinegrove - "11:11"

 

Having garnered a fair amount of attention in the indie scene during their formative years, Pinegrove's first album for Rough Trade (2020's Marigold) saw their profile rise significantly based on the confessional and emotive presentation of the songs and a sense of maturity that resulted from some personal struggles (which have been covered in great detail elsewhere and needn't affect opinions on the band's music). 

Like with so many others, however, Pinegrove's rise was punched down by the onset of Covid (I'm really tired of tying that into all of my write-ups lately, but it's inescapable); thus, like with so many others, the pandemic's shadow looms large over Pinegrove's fifth album. filtered through the lens of our current state of affairs, it's easy to feel the anxiety, tension and depression that sits at the heart of these songs.

Sonically speaking, there's a little more expansiveness and weight to the songs. Take the sprawling opener Habitat, its seven minutes punctuated periodically by noisy bursts on its way to a quiet, outdoorsy section (complete with birds) before seguéing into the fleet, widescreen lead single Alaska. That's followed by the laid back, contemplative Iodine, which blossoms into a vibrant ballad with deceptively busy drumming and offers a nice glimpse into the group's formidable melodies. Orange slows things down even more, crawling along over its first half while gradually building in intensity before its sweeping finale. From here, the first half ends with Flora, a medium-paced strummer with smoky bar in the afternoon vibes.

Respirate opens the B-side in emotional fashion, with Evan Stephens Hall speaking frankly about the depression that he (and many of us) are feeling in the world's current climate, resulting in a relatable, heart-wrenching ballad that is instantly identifiable to a good chunk of the population. After perhaps the album's finest moment, 11:11 settles into a string of like-minded mid-tempo numbers that are all acceptable in their execution, though when compared to the first half of the album they feel a bit samey and mostly sound like slight variations of the better songs on the A-side. That said, none of them are bad songs; they're just not as good.

11:11 will easily satisfy fans of Pinegrove or mellow, emotional rock in general. If you haven't been into them before, there's a little more exploration (especially in its first act) that stands a chance of pulling you in. Overall, though, this album stops short of earning a strong recommendation based on it perhaps getting a little too bogged down in its vibe down the stretch.

January 28, 2022 • Rough Trade

Highlights Habitat • Alaska • Respirate