Forming in the basement of Keith’s parents house whilst the guys were still at school in New Jersey, Pine Barons (Keith Abrams, Brad Pulley, Shane Hower and Collin Smith) write tunes constructed of off beat rhythms underneath simple chord structures: the product is a sound reminiscent of Frank Turner or City and Colour. Last year they put out their seven track debut EP, a collection of rugged tracks from a group of like minded souls who see themselves as troubadours. ‘Carnival’ twinkles with electrics as it fuzzes, but this is probably the only track (together with lo-fi piece ‘Chamber Choir’) to veer off piste, even momentarily, from the record’s folk’n’roll vibe. Despite appearing to be buoyant and rhapsodic, the lyrics are not always so happy, the most pertinent and powerful perhaps being on ‘Smile America’ (‘the end told me that I don’t deserve to breath’) and the most radio friendly ‘Since I’ve Been Away’ (streaming): ‘it’s raining on my head sometimes I wish my head was dead.’ Bounding along with positive boisterousness, Pine Barons is perfect for intimate end of summer festivals when the sun is dipping and the rugs come out (although there are a heck of a lot of references to rain.) Folk with a hint of attitude; we like. – Francesca Baker
We added this song to The Deli’s playlist of Best Rootsy songs by emerging NYC artists – check it out!