Pinegrove - Marigold

Not since Hurricane by Something Corporate has a song hit me quite like No Drugs. The melody and the decrescendo of the acoustic guitar felt like the end of a movie that had the exact conclusion it needed to leave the audience feeling satisfied. I think anyone from America right now can empathize with what I suppose could be considered a chorus, "I want to feel good." The way his voice vibrates when Evan Stephens Hall holds the word good, it's impossible not to feel exactly what he's feeling. The album swells on with Moment; probably the best song the band has ever written. And I'm saying that knowing this band wrote; Aphasia. Cadmium, Recycling, Morningtime, The Metronome and Intrepid. I stand by my statement. Every aspect of that song is absolutely perfect. Hall's inflections, the entire band hammering together in that hesitated way but perfectly in sync. The bassline comes through holding the song together like a bridge, the cars driving over that bridge are the melody. I have to mention Zac's drumming, he accents Pinegrove the way Ringo accented The Beatles. He gives the songs exactly what they deserve and even more than we expect. The song is frantic, it's desperate, the lyrics ("I'm scared to know, but I need to know") add to the completeness of the song; all begging the listener to be enveloped by it. By now, we're all used to hearing Phase right after Moment. Hairpin breaks that habit by slowing us down. Reminding us to take a breath after two of the best indie-rock? No. Emo? No. Songs! That have been released in years. After Hairpin, we get the familiar palm muted intro of Phase, and we are relieved to hear something familiar because these songs long to be known.

Anyone who was anticipating this album knows they released 3 tracks prior to Friday the 17th of January. I don't know if the location of the songs on the album were considered in their release, but with releasing them the way they did it gave (at least me) a feeling of familiarity of the album that I was not expecting. It comforts us in between the known and unknown of a brand new musical adventure. I hope it was intentional.

If you're reading this review you're probably searching all over the internet to find anything to read on this album which means you probably are quite familiar with the Pinegrove discography. And you probably have as much affection for it as I do. So hopefully you won't be too offended when I say that Dotted Line didn't open the album like I expected. Normally, I hold my opinion in high enough regard that I'd say the band made the wrong decision; but with Pinegrove I'll assume I'll grow into it (I was right, I grew into it.) The rest of the album feels like they've been polishing the qualities that we know and love about Pinegrove, and making more and more of the music that has made us all fall head over heels for this band. Lyrically the album keeps the bar high, beautiful imagery drapes the album like Marigolds ornamenting a garden, or garbage. Musically, they've kept this album pretty mellow, which may be a bad thing for people hoping to hear more of the jam-vibes like the Audiotree session. But luckily for me, I found myself floating in the steel guitar accents, gentle strumming and low-fi feel of their third official album. Those simple rim taps in The Alarmist have to be complimented as well, they are so simple yet give us such stability. They focused my ear and my attention getting us ready for the opening of No Drugs. Endless sounds the most folk-like and has one of the smoothest hooks of Marigold. The album ends on kind anecdote about outside creatures (neighbors) and a 6 minute instrumental none of us knew we needed. The soft, careful landing of an experienced sky diver comes to mind. Especially after the first listen because we were all so ready for this album and it feels right for its final track to bring us down softly.

One last thing should be mentioned, the acoustic versions of the album that were released in conjunction with the early tracks. The way Hall belts "I was shouting in the dark" with a completely different melody than is heard on the full band version of Moment. That simple shift changed the way we all hear that song, and reminded us just how good they are. I know I bounced back on forth between those alternate versions over and over waiting for this album. It's finally out. It feels like we've always had it. And I can't imagine a world where Marigold, Skylight, and Cardinal (and the Audiotree sessions, and Everything So Far..., and the Little Elephant recordings, and the live Paste Studios videos - don't make me go on) don't exist. Fortunately, we don't have to imagine that sad, lonely, Pinegrove-less world. I'm already ready for their next album. But in this moment, I'm happy (not scared) to know this one.