The Pine was a band from Bakersfield, CA that played melodic indie rock/emo in the same style as bands like Evergreen, The Hated and Mineral. I think what I love about their s/t is the production of it. The guitars are very washed out and noisy, and the drums have a very distinct sound, making the record seem a lot older than it actually is. (Not a bad thing, the drums are actually very reminiscent of Rites of Spring or Moss Icon records).
Now here's the thing with The Pine, the thing that tends to polarize people on this band; the vocals. On first listen, I can almost guarantee you'll hate them. Nasally, whiney, with a bit of a drawl, not unlike Mineral's Chris Simpson or dare I say Billy Corgan of the Smashing Pumpkins. If I had one complaint about this band, it would be the vocalist's inability to come up with a variety of vocal patterns, and he has a tendency to slip into the same rhythm for a majority of the songs.That being said, don't write this band off on first listen, because the vocals are just another part of what make this band great. They are painfully honest and vulnerable, and certainly add to the texture of the record.
This album is not for everyone, but if you can get into it, it's definitely worth having, especially if you're a fan of Midwest style emo. The Pine released quite a few records, including an Acoustic CDR, a split with La Quiete and a split with The Saddest Landscape. As far as I can tell, a good majority of their records are out of print, but if you're lucky enough to find them, make sure you pick them up.
~AB
Now here's the thing with The Pine, the thing that tends to polarize people on this band; the vocals. On first listen, I can almost guarantee you'll hate them. Nasally, whiney, with a bit of a drawl, not unlike Mineral's Chris Simpson or dare I say Billy Corgan of the Smashing Pumpkins. If I had one complaint about this band, it would be the vocalist's inability to come up with a variety of vocal patterns, and he has a tendency to slip into the same rhythm for a majority of the songs.That being said, don't write this band off on first listen, because the vocals are just another part of what make this band great. They are painfully honest and vulnerable, and certainly add to the texture of the record.
This album is not for everyone, but if you can get into it, it's definitely worth having, especially if you're a fan of Midwest style emo. The Pine released quite a few records, including an Acoustic CDR, a split with La Quiete and a split with The Saddest Landscape. As far as I can tell, a good majority of their records are out of print, but if you're lucky enough to find them, make sure you pick them up.
~AB
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