Lost Love Songs
Self-Released, 2022
8/10
The Olympia, Washington outfit The Pine Hearts bridge Americana and bluegrass in very charming and memorable ways, and here they turn in perhaps their most mature effort yet, and it’s one that truly captures their diverse skill set and unwavering sincerity.
“Mary The Night’s On Fire” starts the listen with warm strings alongside raw vocals as a timeless bluegrass appeal resonates with the vocal harmonies, and “Wouldn’t You Know” follows with much beauty amid the flowing banjo and rootsy flavor.
Packed in the middle is the cautious and heartfelt “Losing You”, as well as the fascinating string acrobatics of the indeed sweet “Sugarcane”. “Bones Of The Vineyard”, one of the album’s best, then uses plucked strings strategically with no shortage of hooks as classic country nods are in attendance.
Deeper yet, “Long Gone Crazy” is a display of minimal instrumentation and plenty of vocals meeting at a very mountain-esque intersection, and “Unit Of Time” exits the listen with an initially a cappella environment that’s intimate and exploratory enough to bring trumpet into the formula.
The lead singer and songwriter Joey Capoccia actually penned several of these songs while in Antarctica, as well as plenty of others cities in his vast travels. A record that could soundtrack a campfire, a jam band festival or a hoedown, if you haven’t discovered the jamgrass meets alt-country of The Pine Hearts yet, there’s certainly no reason not to start here.
Travels well with: Terry Klein- Tex; Sad Daddy- Way Up In The Hills