PINE CONE JUICE

 CURRENT ROTATION QUICK TAKES

APRIL 2025

INTRO:

I had originally planned to cover eight albums this month, but something about these six drew me in to listen to (and re-listen to) far more times than I originally expected - in most of the cases because I really liked what I heard and wanted to dig deeper with my appreciation. Check them out if they sound up your alley or if you're looking for some new music to explore. Cheers!

My Morning Jacket / is

From my Gen X vantage point, ‘classic rock’ starts with the first album by The Beatles and wraps with The Wall. I love 80s music - particularly the various strands of New Wave - like it is part of my own being, but it’s tough to call “Sunday Bloody Sunday” or “Jump” legit ‘classic rock’ tracks. Though they are certainly ‘classic’ tracks, the timing is just off. Maybe it’s because labeling them such just makes me feel too old. That said, it is always great to hear more modern artists that feel very much a kindred spirit with those foundational rock acts of the 60s & 70s. My Morning Jacket is definitely one of those bands and they have, on their tenth album, furthered their cause in a range of appealing ways. Truth is, the band isn’t all that easy to pigeonhole. I could certainly point out elements of their make-up that draw comparisons to ‘70s bands, but they manage to fuse a sound that lands in pretty unique territory. This stance is expanded further on their latest as (for the first time) they enlist an outside producer - namely Brendan O’Brien. The winning vibe of this album seems to be generated from their well-earned confidence in who they are. I especially enjoyed the lighter, more lived-in numbers that reminded me (in all the best ways) of ‘70s McCartney & Wings. Great album - not a single weak song!! Standout Tracks: “Everyday Magic”, “Time Waited” & “I Can Hear Your Love” - easy Thumbs Up and a Grade of A.

Mumford & Sons / RUSHMERE
Fuck the haters. Mumford & Sons hit as big as they did because they did something different - extremely well and with palpable earnestness. You can try to side-step the hipster accolades, but in my mind, that just sets you up as the true poser. Melding roots Americana with British folk music in exciting ways, they earned a well-deserved popular status - and none of the dismissals that came their way. I’ll add that they are a hell of a live act! With their first new release in seven years, I find them about where I’d expect. That is, more mature and leaning into their strengths. This isn’t a perfect collection and the second half of the collection does completely surrender to the heartfelt ballad side of their sound, but there is no denying the inherent beauty - especially given the right mood for listening. The fact is that when everything clicks it is a formidable reminder of the targeted talents that the group brings to the table. Standout Tracks: “Caroline”, “Rushmere” & “Where It Belongs” - Thumbs Up and a Grade of B-.

Playboi Cardi / MUSIC
Admittedly, my deep love of hip-hop only (mostly) extends through Ready To Die in 1994. Truthfully, though I check-in on new releases here & there, it has only been the ladies (Tank & the Bangas, Doechii, Ice Spice, Leikeli47) that have caught my attention. As is becoming a regular occurrence in my monthly posts, I checked this one out at the recommendation of my daughter, June. The whole ‘mumble-rap’ thing was never really on my radar and so - though Playboi Cardi played a key role in that movement - he was unknown to me. The first track on his latest album had me - totally. “POP OUT” immediately reminded me of the muted, other-worldly production beats that facilitated Eric B. & Rakim’s underground ‘88 triumph, Follow The Leader. Unfortunately, things spiraled after that. After giving the full album several listens, my issue overall simply comes down to restraint. At 35 tracks (8 of those under two minutes) and an hour & a half of music it feels like there’s either an over-inflated sense of self-worth or that PC is simply surrounded by a crew offering too many YESes. I will keep this artist on my radar in hopes that a future release stays more focused on the sound that made “POP OUT” so successful. Standout Track: “POP OUT” - Thumbs Down and a Grade of D.

Branford Marsalis / Belonging
I realized recently that Branford Marsalis leads the list of artists I’d seen live the most times. 10 times (plus once playing w/ Sting). Marsalis is an artist I appreciate to the umpth degree. Watching him live has always felt akin to watching a master painter go to work on a blank canvas. Not only has every performance been completely unique (& with a variety of ensemble set-ups), but there is a true electricity to the more intimate theater settings that accompanies live jazz of his caliber. With over thirty albums (studio releases & soundtracks) and dozens of collaborations to his credit, he continues to wholly engage and impress with every single project. Belonging is no exception - more than that, it is a truly engaging modern jazz album that is built on groundbreaking foundations with a focus on moving forward. There are definitely challenging numbers - no one can ever make a case that Branford plays it safe or caters to set expectations. I always feel the need with jazz and classical albums I review to state that I come to them with nothing but what they inspire in me emotionally. That is, I don’t carry deep knowledge of theory, but with music as powerful as Marsalis delivers, there is no missing the gut reaction I experienced throughout my listening. Standout Tracks: “Solstice”, “Belonging” & “The Windup” - Thumbs Up and a Grade of A.

Craig Finn / Always Been

The Hold Steady, of no fault on their part, has always been a peripheral band for me. I’ll check them out when they hit my radar and I usually like what I hear, but for some reason they are rarely a go-to for me. Flowing with that, though I consider Craig Finn a commendable singer/songwriter, I am just simply not super familiar with his six previously released solo albums. Following my enjoyment of his latest, that is going to change. As a foundational fan of singer/songwriters (meaning that singer/songwriters make up the majority of my favorite music), I fell right in with this collection from first listen - a return that only grew as I became more intimate with the song structures and highly-tasteful arrangements and performances (no doubt, significantly augmented by Producer Adam Granduciel from The War On Drugs). Truly, only Finn’s spoken-word numbers end up not hitting the target for me. Overall, the many high points win the day and Finn’s detail to so skillfully crafting such poetic takes on everyday life is really a treat to take-in. Standout Tracks: “Bethany”, “People Of Substance” & “Luke & Leanna” - Thumbs Up and a Grade of B.

Deafheaven / Lonely People With Power

We like what we like. And some music - well, we just don't. There were few musical moments (the majority of “The Garden Route” and the opening sections of “Heathen” & “Amethyst”) on this collection that really intrigued me, and had the album explored those a bit more, I’m sure I would’ve definitely been pulled in. However, in the end, it’s those ridiculous vocals that throw the train, violently, off the tracks. I just can’t hear them and think anything other than ‘Is this a joke?’. I get that it’s a whole trend and that this dude isn’t the only one that vocalizes like this, but it’s such a showstopper for me. Maybe, if I really tried, I could imagine small sections of certain tracks benefitting from that gutter stuff as an accent, but whole songs? No thanks. This particular case is made worse, as a track like “Heathen” actually starts with actual singing only to dissolve. It really feels like a missed opportunity. I will add that there are moments of this album - purely from a musical standpoint - that feels like pretty corporate metal. That generic kind of symphonic shit that is super bland and not very interesting. It’s also super obvious that production levels are unbalanced – some tracks being super compressed and others overly bright. The ship already sank by the time I got around to those criticisms, so we’ll call it rust on the hull laying on the ocean floor. Standout Track: (½ of) “Heathen” - Thumbs Down and a Grade of a low D.