If a sense of place does provide a background for music, is Iowa's comparatively peaceful history responsible for the generally quiet, personal music that comes from the state? The Pines are one of the younger generation of Iowa musicians (for those of you keeping score, bandmember Benson Ramsey is the son of Iowa's Bo Ramsey), & seem to tap into that introspective domestic space that Greg Brown began staking out years ago.
Tremolo is a quiet introspective record, & that seems to be both it's strength & it's weakness. Too much of a piece, a bit too monochromatic. That being said, its midtempo acoustic base is a wonderful starting point, highlighting The Pines' lyrics.
I think these are musicians to watch, & hope that their future releases will be a bit more varied.
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