Pinegrove brings compelling indie-rock sound to Higher Ground

Built around the core duo of songwriter Evan Stephens Hall and drummer Zack Levine, New Jersey indie-rock band Pinegrove perform Monday at the Higher Ground in support of feature film “Amperland, NY” and the accompanying soundtrack album released in January.

The film, scripted from a short story by Hall, was filmed at the band’s longtime home in upstate New York – dubbed “Amperland” by the band to their fans – before the house be sold in early 2020.

Described by Hall as “amusing, hopefully poignant, definitely bizarre”, the film features 22 songs that span Pinegrove’s 10+ year career. Recorded live in the Amperland house by Pinegrove guitarist/keyboardist Sam Skinner, the new renditions have also been released on a soundtrack album of the same name.

A stellar recording from a band at the top of their game, “Amperland, NY” is packed with lovingly arranged versions of songs from the band’s impressive catalog that somehow sound more vital than ever.

In short, it’s a must for diehard fans of Pinegrove – a large and zealous band of Pinenuts, as they called themselves – and those looking for an entry point to one of the bands of most compelling indie rock of the moment.

Atwood magazine called it “perhaps the band’s most adventurous effort to bring the Pinegrovian universe to life”, adding, “Through colorful sets and a charmingly goofy story about a stuffed sloth, Pinegrove not only delivers a stunning film but also the biggest, most comprehensive live album of their career.

The film and soundtrack album follows the early 2020 release of “Marigold”, Pinegrove’s fourth album. The album “adds to Pinegrove’s growing status as one of the nation’s most talented recording and touring bands,” Under the Radar said, calling “Marigold” the “tightest moments on record so far.” day” and “their most developed songs”. ”

The release of “Marigold” marked a return to form for Pinegrove after a hiatus of more than a year in 2018 following an allegation of sexual coercion against Hall by an unnamed woman, to which Hall complained. answered at the end of 2017 on the group’s Facebook page.

One of the hottest indie rock bands of the time – thanks in large part to their widely acclaimed breakthrough second album, 2016’s “Cardinal” – Pinegrove dropped out of the public eye in 2018, delaying the release of their third album, “Skylight”. until fall 2018.

“Over the first three albums,” said the New York Times, “Hall marked himself as an unusually vulnerable singer and lyricist, tender and thoughtful and also nurturing, his songs being so many vectors for the well-being of others and self-analysis. one’s own.”

Formed by childhood friends Hall and Levine in 2010 – who described their sound as “language arts rock” – Pinegrove included “a constellation of kindred spirits”, as Levine calls them, as members of the group over the years. Almost everyone they work with are longtime friends and collaborators.

In addition to Hall, Levine and Skinner, Pinegrove’s current five-piece lineup includes guitarist Josh Marré and bassist Megan Benavente.

Monday’s show at the Higher Ground Ballroom – the band’s first since playing there two years ago – is Pinegrove’s second stop on a nine-day run that ends with a show in his hometown of Montclair , New Jersey.

Skullcrusher, aka Los Angeles singer-songwriter Helen Ballentine, opens the show with Blue Ranger, a folk-rock band from Albany, NY fronted by Pinegrove guitarist Josh Marré.

ThomasWhuntington @hotmail.com