​The Pine Hearts (from the album Lost Love Songs

​The Pine Hearts (from the album Lost Love Songs available as an independent release) (by Lee Zimmerman)
 
Lost Love Songs, the latest entry from the Olympia Washington -based trio The Pine Hearts, features songs borne from diverse locales. Written by singer/guitarist Joey Capoccia in environs spanning Kauai, Hawaii to an outpost in Antartica, the songs all convey a similar message in common, one that resonates through practically every entry. If the title alone doesn’t offer any clue — although it ought to — the music makes it clear. The melodies are flush with sentiment and sobriety, indicative of emotions that emanate from the heart when one is separated from people and places that keep a clear connection.

While Capoccia can take credit for these compositions, his bandmates — Derek McSwain on mandolin and vocals, and Dean Shakked on upright bass and vocals — imbue the textures and tones that make each offering such a singular encounter. The feelings consistently rise to the surface, as adroitly expressed in such songs as “Wouldn’t You Know”, “Losing You”, “Unrequited Days”, “Oceans and Limousines”, and “Bones of the Vineyards”, all of which reference a distance and divide. Yet even so, the melodies rarely come across as languid or lethargic, finding instead the marvel of discovering new environs and the opportunity to explore rich new possibilities. In essence, The Pine Hearts sound is celebratory, illuminated with Bluegrass trappings and its tuneful traditions.
 
That said, while the sound is spawned from a traditional template, the band uses it as a stepping stone to enhance its rich arrangements, aided and abetted by added instrumentation. Guests Lob Strilla and Bevin Foley add banjo, piano, and violin with a subtle aplomb, while co-producer Bart Budwig, an inventive artist in his own right, offers some additional nuance courtesy of his added harmonies, as well as the occasional touch of his trumpet. As a result, the group finds opportunity to bend some boundaries and add nuance to their narratives.
 
Taken in tandem, the results offer every indication that while The Pine Hearts may not be quite ready to shed their down-home designs entirely, they are intent on adding new elements to the mix. That, turn, offers opportunity to plough deeper below the surface, expand their emotional reach, and showcase the band at its best. Suffice it to say, these Lost Love Songs warrant an immediate discovery. (by Lee Zimmerman)
 
Listen and buy the music of The Pine Hearts from AMAZON
Please visit The Pine Hearts website for more information

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