Philly-based experimental rock trio Pine Barons spent 3 years honing their 4th album, and (spoiler alert!) it’s a brilliantly imaginative album for the ages.
To do TV MOVIE justice, I think I have to take you along for the ride, one track at a time…
The album opens with SUM_ONE and the sound of static. A tape is being inserted into a player, and, like signals from another dimension, we are drawn into this strange world.
A melody appears from the haze, and as it loops and builds, a crisp lute(?) melody combines with the ethereal vocal, and tactile sounds scrape and rattle. The intensity builds, and the layers start to blur and melt into each other.
FRANTIC FRANCIS ups the energy with a rat-a-tat bass line and a shuffling beat, which gives a real sense of momentum. KC Abrams’ falsetto vocal cuts through like ice crystals, and it slots in perfectly to each moment, a crisp, high tone that is embellished with some really creative FX and some wonderful strings.
CRIME CINEMA brings a lighter, more airy feel. I loved the little fills and variations that peppered the track – melodic snippets and new sounds that make this feel so unique and fresh.
BLUE DOLPHIN is more straightforward – retro bleeps and simple, upbeat synth melodies feel like we are taking a breath. A more upfront beat anchors the track. Of course, there is still a feast of melody to enjoy!
Eccentricity returns with GRIMY RIBBON – a halting rhythm, dissonant sounds and strange, echoing percussive hits give a more angular and unsettling feel. It sounds like the band raided the garage (and the kitchen) for some new instruments, and the result is another masterclass in unique timbres. Short and sweet – it’s over in under 90 seconds.
The guitar part in ETHERLIGHT is one of the highlights of the whole album for me, with a wonderful tone and a simple, elegant melody. Stripped back, things feel focused and concentrated. A cool touch was the kick hitting every beat. I heard echoes of Pink Floyd and loved the complexity in the song, despite the restrained arrangement.
ELECTRIC FINGERTIPS has a wonderfully simple arp that feels like it’s from a 70’s rock opera. The track hypnotically rolls along until the final section, which suddenly gets heavy with a fantastic synth/guitar riff that is effortlessly catchy – I wish that had been there from the start!
HERMET CRAB introduces yet another atmosphere – with a whole host of brand new sounds. The experimental and progressive nature of each track really is a feast for the ears – nothing is repeated or revisited, and just when it feels like this might be the most accessible and straightforward track, things morph again with some dark analogue synths that pulse and squeak like a strange alien creature.
DAISY features a subtle groove and some nice filtered sounds with a fuzzy, wide riff and another great vocal that, for me, has hints of Tom Chaplin from Keane. Once again, you can never assume how a track will end, and DAISY evolves and twists into places you could never predict or easily describe.
LILO starts with a stutter, a tremolo guitar and some scratches. It has a happier, jauntier atmosphere and a really pretty melody. It was the final missing link in the band’s journey to the completion of the album. Lyrically, things are layered and rich – just like the music:
“Saw you running in place
Tailing andantino, ah
Saw you gutting a fish
Harmonious phantom
And onlooking elsewhere”
‘F.A.C.’ (which stands for Floating Angel Chimera for those who are wondering) is the longest track on the album at an epic 7:31. Bubbling, flowing sounds, snapping percussion and another message to decipher. A sudden tempo shift and an extended outro jam with a cacophony of disparate, sometimes backwards sounds bring this one to a close.
The final (title) track starts with a slightly lo-fi, almost child-like electric piano melody. The slow groove and heavily processed guitar riff reminded me of the classic 80s track “Wouldn’t It Be Good”. The tape finally finishes, and we hear it spooling backwards – ready for the next play.
TV MOVIE manages to sound adventurous and unique, whilst keeping the same overall tone and sonic palette. It’s a delicate balancing act, but they absolutely nail it. There’s a stream-of-consciousness inventiveness and a diverse soundscape filled to the brim with melodic ideas and things you won’t hear on any other album.
Electrifying and mystifying, there are so many things to discover and decipher. Sonically and lyrically, TV MOVIE is certainly the most exciting and diverse album I’ve heard in ages.
Written by Grubby
