By Nick Laugher, Staff Contributor
Grade: A
Bearing down on your ears like a freight train of psychedelic tomfoolery, Brent Randall and his Pinecones make stops at 1960s hippiedom, mellotron and songs about tea. Their newest album, Sage, is the first entirely collaborative effort by the band, resulting in the apt retitling of the band as “the Pinecones.” With each member contributing to the songwriting process, the LP is a smörgåsbord of jingly-jangly, dancey, spacey pop tunes that glitter with the broad wave of influences from J.J. Cale to the Beatles.
A hearty 16-track treasure chest of atmospheric, light-hearted pop jams and experimental sonic ambiance, the Pinecones craft a unique, nostalgic soundscape. The material doesn’t sound dated – it sounds familiar. The songs range from brooding ballads like “5 o’clock Shadow (of a Moonbeam)” to upbeat Dylan-esque jams about the Ardmore Tea Room, all weaving in and out of the speakers with delicate, masterful production. Though the band clearly shows their influences, they manage to deliver a sound that’s intelligent and their own. The record steers away from the realm of knockoff or pastiche, and unfolds like a loving tribute to the days of flowers in the hair and LSD on the tongue.
The Pinecones, with their legendary dry humour and sarcastic wit, have littered the album with homages, tiny tales of tea and fun facts about songs that you can’t help but giggle at. The Pinecones are just pure, honest fun. A perfect album to throw on when you’re slumped on the couch, nursing that perpetual hangover, Sage immediately lifts your mood and opens your ears to a wonderful universe of lighthearted, brilliant pop music the likes of which the world has been severely deprived of. The Pinecones fill that empty space with enough happiness and hilarity to induce a titter in even the sourest music snobs.
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