#montclairnj

Pinegrove’s Discography in chronological order (for reference):

Everything so Far (2015)

Cardinal (2016)

Audiotree Live (2016)

Skylight (2018)

Marigold (2020)

Amperland, NY (2021)

11:11 (2022)

Hailing from Montclair, New Jersey, Pinegrove falls somewhere between indie-rock and folk. Their discography (in chronological order) begins with Everything so Far, which is not so much an album as it is a dump of “everything [they had created] so far”. Many of the songs, on what we’ll call their debut compilation, were later rerecorded and released on their following two albums, Cardinal and Skylight. When compared, it seems the songs tend to age really well. The confidence gained by the entire band between 2015 and 2016 is remarkably evident in the contrast between Everything so Far and Cardinal. Even their live performance on Audiotree is exemplary of their gained confidence. The way that Evan Stephens Hall sings “I’m out” in “Need 2” on the recording from Everything so Far has nothing on the energy exuded in the Audiotree performance when Hall yells “I’M OUT” (it's enough to send shivers down your spine). It’s almost as if we can see him finally taking over his life; THIS time he really is out. “Angelina” is another great example of this across the board as it appears on Everything so Far, their Audiotree session, and Skylight. Their first recording of the song is still a fantastic. It holds a more raw (almost demo-ey), folky feel, but against the bands’ following two recordings, both from 2016 and 2018, the latter are more substantial. Seeing the band come into their own isn’t something that’s always easily seen in many band discogs simply because they usually produce one studio version of a song and call it a day. Pinegrove’s habit of rerecording and rereleasing songs allows for a more intimate listener-artist experience. It can become a very personal experience to become that acquainted with an artist as to hear them play the same song differently 2-3 different times.

Despite my describing the bands' early-early work as more folk-influenced, their broader discography across albums becomes more folky with age. I draw the line between Skylight and Marigold. In many of the songs on Marigold, it’s clear the feel has shifted from their early work, while still maintaining and showcasing the fantastic songwriting of Pinegrove’s front-man, Evan Stephens Hall. The banjo and lap-steel come through much more frequently in later albums (the lap-steel in “Phase” is phenomenal). While listening to many of the songs, I can't help but expect to hear mandolin- it would certainly fit the palette. In no way is Pinegrove another Lord Huron or Mumford & Sons. They have a more unique sound, which I believe comes from their experience writing and playing heavier music like they did in the beginning. Reference 1:54 in “Cadmium”- the guitar chugging is something few and far between in their later work (“Phase” and “Habitat” are exceptions to this). Even though they trade in their chugging guitar parts for banjo and lap-steel, it’s evident that they’re guided by the Hall’s songwriting, which keeps it in the realm of “Pinegrove”. 

It's songs like "Cadmium," "Portal," and "Recycling" that gave the band their break. Their claim to fame was their early indie-rock works, and it seemed to legitimize and allow them to mature and move into the new persona taken on in their more recent music.

In 2021, Pinegrove released a movie along with another compilation of songs (some new, and many existing repertoire). The movie is essentially a recording of all of the songs on the compilation released with it. The songs are tied loosely together by a plot concerning a mission to locate a Sloth named Lincoln who had gone missing. It all takes place in and around a studio somewhere in upstate New York. Inside the studio, each band member's area is designated by a certain color that also matches their outfit. The whole thing seems very thought out and purposeful. The hour and twenty minutes is well worth it to watch the movie… 

After Amperland, NY, came 11:11, Pinegrove’s most recent album from this year. Yet again, the song-writing (as I’ve been saying) remains consistent in quality, and the folk influence intensifies. 11:11 features a few more slow songs than we’re used to hearing compared to previous albums. 

Pinegrove’s discography is rich with great music, whether you’re looking more for indie-rock or folk-rock. Seldom does a band have such a robust repertoire that also maintains quality and consistency. Whatever the band chooses to take on is always done really well, and their transformation towards folk-rock is beautifully shown in a gradient of sound palette across albums.