ALBUM REVIEW: Pinegrove - Skylight

Pinegrove - Skylight [7.3/10]

Although their sound hasn't changed much since Everything So Far, it was never bad to begin with, and higher quality recordings only improve upon that sound.

Pinegrove - Skylight (Album Art)

There's been a lot of drama surrounding Pinegrove in the past year. On November 21, 2017, after accusations of sexual coercion against the band's front-man Evan Hall, the band announced that they would be taking a lengthy break from touring, and the band began a one-year hiatus. There are a bunch of complex issues at play with this whole situation, so I'm not going to get into it. But if you'd like to read more about it, you can find more information here, here, and here.

Because of these issues, Pinegrove got into some trouble with their record label. As a consequence of that, this new album Skylight was self-released. That's why you won't find this album on Spotify. It's currently only available on Bandcamp, with all profits from sales being donated to charities as Pinegrove looks to repair their public image. You can find it here. Now, let's dig into what we're really here to talk about, the album itself.

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The opener 'Rings' is a classic relaxed folky rock tune. The somewhat rolling drums keep the song intact even with some big breaks between vocals. Evan Hall's voice sounds as good as ever, especially on the more intense build-ups as he cries "Am I forgetting how it felt?". It brings on reminiscence of their previous efforts and it sets the tone for the rest of the album. So if you hate the opener, you probably shouldn't bother with most of the other songs.

The single 'intrepid' although not particularly well recorded, is an enjoyable and thoughtful song. The slow build-up that leads into the switch-up after the first chorus makes for an enjoyable listen. It features some abstract lyrics. Evan Hall was quoted saying: "'Intrepid,' in particular, considers distance and the outer rim of the magnet’s pull; how the size of the world can bring our personal relationships into focus." That may or may not mean anything to you, make of it what you will.

Overall, Evan's thoughtful lyrics combined with somewhat moody instrumentation is what makes Pinegrove's music so good. He is at his best when he manages to combine these often dark themes into upbeat tunes even if the lyrical content contradicts the mood of the song. That's what makes 'Darkness' such a standout tune on this album, and it's what makes 'Angelina' such a classic that it makes a reappearance (re-recorded of course).

The album is certainly not without flaws. The title track is surprisingly mundane, certain songs like 'Patterson and Leo' will lull you to sleep, recording quality is lacking on songs like 'Intrepid', and none of the tracks ever really step outside of Pinegrove's comfort zone. Most fans of Cardinal will be perfectly okay with that though, as if you ignore the lack of creativity, they continue to maintain a great sound. It will be interesting to see what Pinegrove can do in the future if they ever decide to step outside of their folk-rock roots and try something new. But for now we will have to wait a while longer for anything of a different nature.

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Stay tuned for more,

Nathan Kamphuis