PINE CONE JUICE

CURRENT ROTATION QUICK TAKES

FEBRUARY 2025

INTRO:
The shortest month sure provided an interesting gathering of new music. Thanks for taking time to check out my thoughts on a handful of new releases. Cheers!

Mogwai / The Bad Fire
I’m no lumberjack, but I imagine that if you are after a particular maple syrup you only tap very specific trees. Bands can be the same way. Some deliver such a unique on-target sound that you can forgive them not constantly exploring new musical avenues in the name of staying the course and continuing to provide the goods. Maogwai is one such band. The (mostly) instrumental history of this band’s previous ten albums is that of atmospheric post-rock - with tendencies to lean into dense Sonic Youth/My Bloody Valentine distortion more than many of their likeminded contemporaries (Explosions In The Sky and Tortoise). However, on their latest release, the band expands - in extremely alluring ways - to a sound that incorporates their past foundations with new layers of cleverly palatable touches. A great example is “Fanzine Made Of Flesh” - a perfect college alt-rock track. As an overall collection, this album just keeps giving and giving. Not only did I stay fully engaged through the high number of listens I committed to, but that extra focus also returned exciting discoveries & deepened appreciation for the stellar tapestries of sound the band forged. Standout Tracks: “God Gets You Back”, “Pale Vegan Hip Pain” & “18 Volcanoes” - Clear Thumbs Up and a Grade of a strong A. 

David Gray / Dear Life
When did I get soft? (Or: What’s wrong with walking both sides of the street?). Is it some sort of mortal sin to have the ability to pull enjoyment from switching between songs as diverse as, say, “Ace of Spades” to “Could It Be Magic?” - from side one of Zen Arcade to Christopher Cross? Sure, there is an easy consumable sameness to much of the music that falls under the truthfully diverse umbrella of Adult Contemporary/Soft Rock, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t artists who serve up that style with great talent & natural craftsmanship. David Gray has always been one of those purveyors - in fact, since his 1998 breakthrough fourth album, White Ladder, he sort of hit the scene fully formed. As the dude has put out an additional 8 albums since, I admit I haven’t given each of them totally close inspection, but I certainly would rate highly those that I did - and I found this latest to effectively hit that same admirable pocket. This isn’t groundbreaking experimental work, but it is extremely solid in all kinds of ways. The highest compliment I can pay is that it was - out of all of the new albums I listened to this last month - easily the one I played the most times. The musical version of comfort food. Standout Tracks: “Eyes Made Rain” & “That Day Must Surely Come”  Thumbs Up and a Grade of a C+.

Ambrose Akinmusire / honey from a winter stone
This jazz release threw me for a bit of a loop. Bandleader & trumpeter Akinmusire had not been on my radar previously, which certainly says more about my lack of modern jazz knowledge than his notoriety or appeal (the 42-year old has released twelve albums, won the Thelonious Monk Jazz Competition in 2007, has been nominated for a Grammy & has guested on dozens of projects). I can’t speak to past album approaches (though they seem pretty varied), but this collection is a gathering of all sorts of musical dinner guests. There are challenging abstract string segments, frantic be-bop rushes, interesting percussive grooves, and hushed moments of more pastoral tranquility. Also hard to miss the echoes of some of Miles Davis’ experimental, electronic work. There is even an epic half hour exploration. What this adds up to is a listening experience that requires the audience to be open (& patient). Some of this really worked to my ears, but some didn’t. Despite being a big hip-hop fan, the hybrid numbers that included rap/poetry just felt like one extra element too many. In the end, I just couldn’t find my footing. It was an interesting one-listen experience, but I don’t see myself circling back. However, seeing that he has a trio album featuring Bill Frisell, I will be checking out a few of his previous albums. Standout Track: “s-/Kinfolks” - Slight Thumbs Down and a Grade of C-.

The Weather Station / Humanhood
This Canadian ensemble, led by singer/songwriter Tamara Lindeman, caught my attention in a big way with their 2021 release Ignorance (so much so that it earned a spot in my Top Ten from that year). While they haven’t reinvented the wheel on their latest, there is very definitely an added tumultuous under-current to their dialed-in sound. They also present their heaviest nod to ‘90s female-fronted trends. Notes of Tori Amos & Sarah McLachlan drift by, but it’s the similarities to the vocal delivery & phrasing of Paula Cole that are super pronounced. So much so, that I could have easily been tricked into believing this was a new Cole release. However, none of this presents a problem as I am a fan of one and all - and, moreover, I feel that The Weather Station manages their hybrid with a balance of enough jazzy experimentation that they stake firm musical territory, even with an assist from others. The end result is a collection that contains more subtle twist & turns than a first breezy listen might reveal. Definitely worth circling back to become more familiar with all that is being touched on.  Standout Tracks: “Neon Signs” & “Lonely” - Thumbs Up and a Grade of B-.

20/20 / Back To California
It’s always cool to grab a snapshot of previously missed rock music DNA. Case in point - my discovery of this new album by 20/20, a band I had never heard of before. At first listen, I was impressed by their straight-ahead heartland rock sound - with healthy, impossible to miss echoes of Tom Petty (“Springtime Love Song” being the most flagrant example). But color me surprised to learn that their roots extend back to 1977 when the band moved to California from Oklahoma to release their debut - a collection of tight post-punk power pop. The band would release two more albums, but never realized the success of peers like Petty or The Knack. After an extended break, two more albums appeared in the late ‘90s. And now, here we are, with the two founding members taking one hell of a stab at a late-career rally. My hat is off to them. Given their lineage, I wholly salute this record’s clear stance. In a nutshell, this is uncomplicated, smartly-crafted rock that would pair perfectly with a drive on a beautiful day - windows down, volume up. Standout Tracks: “Back To California” & “The End Of Summer” - Easy Thumbs Up and a Grade of a solid B.

The Weeknd / Hurry Up Tomorrow 
I was very much behind The Weeknd’s ‘22 album, Dawn FM. When my daughter suggested it, I immediately appreciated its ‘80s throwback vibes. Tons of Michael Jackson beats, Prince grooves & synth touches were all respectably wielded to create a modern pop collection that felt like what it was - a dedicated tip of the hat presented on its own two feet. With the new album, the 80s-hangover is still there (opener, “Wake Me Up”, is introduced with Scarface soundtrack synth washes before falling into a groove that is pure “Thriller”), but what doesn’t holdover from Dawn PM is the joyous revelry. This collection - at 22 tracks and almost 90 minutes of music - feels like it is in desperate need of some serious editing. Any early album highlights are all but forgotten as the majority of the second half of the collection wallows in slow jams that blur with a sameness in sound. And this is despite some heavy-hitters making cameos (including Florence + The Machine, Lana Del Ray and Mr. Scarface synth himself, legend Giorgio Moroder) - their contributions seem as almost after-thoughts. The good is good, but unfortunately there is just too much mediocre to navigate to make the time spent worthwhile. Standout Track: “Open Hearts” - Thumbs Down and a Grade of C-.