As we finally approach the end of this horrid and ugly year, many of us are looking for something bright on the horizon, something beautiful to guide us forward out of this dark place. And that’s what the self-titled debut release by The Burnt Pines sounds like to me. This album features some really good vocal work, some uplifting original material with excellent lyrics. The music is folk, with some pop sensibilities. This project was put together in two countries, here in the U.S. (specifically Brookline, Massachusetts) and Portugal (specifically Lisbon). The band is made up of Kris Skovmand on vocals; Aaron Flanders on guitar, guitar-banjo and tambourine; and Miguel Sá Pessoa on piano, keyboards and melodica. Joining them on this album are Fernando Huergo on bass, Luis Barros on drums and percussion, and Dan Fox on double bass.
The album begins with “Diamonds,” which has a beautiful opening on guitar, with that humming adding to the sweet sound, setting me at ease. There is something gentle and friendly about this song’s sound, something familiar. It is an unusual sort of love song, told from the perspective of a faithful companion. “Take me out after dark,/So the strays out on the street/Can watch the princess eat/And when she’s satisfied I know/My fur is gold/And I’m ascending heaven.” But the line that really stands out for me is “I don’t mind getting old for you, babe.” There is also some nice work on melodica. “Diamonds” is followed by “Heavy And Young,” that acoustic guitar at the beginning pulling me in, establishing a good energy and sweet vibe. And the sound of the guitar-banjo works to raise my spirits. By the way, what is the official name of the guitar-banjo? I’ve heard it called a banjitar, a banjo-tar, a gitjo, a ganjo, banjo-guitar, a six-string banjo. Let’s choose a name, shall we? Anyway, the excellent vocal work also makes this track a highlight for me. Check out these lines: “Old and weightless/Is what I'm trying to kill since you've been gone/I cast spells and talk to ghosts/Sit around and sing them all our songs/If I could see you maybe/You could show me how it all went wrong.”
In “Song For Rose,” Kris Skovmand sings, “I confess/I haven’t always been good to our love/I get crazy when I drink too much alcohol/I got dark thoughts down in my mind.” Yet, even as he sings those lines, we get the feeling that things are going to be all right, that he’s going to be able to successfully combat whatever negative feelings and thoughts might trouble him from time to time. It is a love song, after all, isn’t it? And there is a serene beauty to it. That’s followed by “On The Burning Bridge,” which tells of a troubled relationship. Here is a taste of the lyrics: “I don’t know exactly how I feel/But I can’t chase you through this/Tell me of a future I can love/Or let’s fall apart on the burning bridge/I need to talk while we can/I have become the invisible man/I wish I was a stranger/So we could start all over again.” Then “Only In The Soul” has a pleasant vibe. This music is sometimes like a wonderful warm breeze that seems to have the power to carry us away from our worries, just what we need as we struggle through the end of this disastrous year and allow ourselves to have a bit of hope regarding the coming year. Check out these lines: “Northwestern skies/Speak easy, I’m right here with you/By your side/Drop your feathers and your dreams into great wide space.” Miguel Sá Pessoa gives us some pretty work on piano, and I like what Dan Fox does on double bass.
“Don’t break me for sour bread/Don’t work me until I’m dead/Just bury me instead/With the mother on the mountain.” “Mother On The Mountain” has a delicious, positive energy about it, and is one of my favorites. It has a gentle power, a strength that becomes our own. That is followed by “Oh Me, Oh My,” which has a 1960s feel in some of its elements, particularly the lead vocals. There is something exciting about this one, the way the lyrics come at us, the insistence of the rhythm. Plus, it is just really cool. Yes, it’s another of my favorites. “I live long winters in my dreams/While the snow outside keeps me locked in/Safe and warm, so it seems/My heart is cold and frozen/I’ll call for action, call for change.” Then “From Seville To Manhattan” has a more laid-back vibe, the vocals at times reminding me of the style of Paul Simon. “You were married in a church under a waterfall/And I wonder, can you see in the Hollywood mist?/A million eyes were watching from the farms in Arkansas/To the suicide on the Golden Gate Bridge.”
“Outside Of Us” has an intimate vocal delivery, and percussion that has a warm feel. This song has beauty and charm, and once again, this group can certainly write effective lyrics, creating songs of depth and meaning, songs we connect to the more we pay attention. “This is one time/Where the master’s on the floor/And I’m not riding on the world no more/It’s outside of us.” I also love the line, “And I walked right into your storm.” That’s followed by “Waiting For You,” which opens with these lines: “The past don't hold no place of refuge/The future's out there on its own/I am soft-spoken in the deluge/I voyage into the unknown.” The phrase “soft-spoken in the deluge” is wonderful. And those “do-do do-do” vocals have a strangely soothing effect. Then “Make The Sign” has more of a pop feel in the way some of the lines are delivered, such as “There’s no end to the evil summer/Everyone's eyes on the girl outnumbered/Can't stop what you feel inside, let sparks fly true.” The album then concludes with “April Child,” a gorgeous song. “You’re the lucky one/Even though you’ve changed/Everyone knows that a single smile/Is the closest we can get to escape.”
CD Track List
- Diamonds
- Heavy And Young
- Song For Rose
- On The Burning Bridge
- Only In The Soul
- Mother On The Mountain
- Oh Me, Oh My
- From Seville To Manhattan
- Outside Of Us
- Waiting For You
- Make The Sign
- April Child
The Burnt Pines is scheduled to be released on January 22, 2021.
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