The Midnight Pine Live At A.D. Splattered Grey Vinyl Edition

Part retrospective, part metamorphosis, The Midnight Pine Live at A.D. finds a band fully realizing itself with searing, updated interpretations of its carefully produced studio recordings. When The Midnight Pine first appeared in 2013, it established an ethereal take on western Americana, the sound of acoustic strums and humming organ keys channeled by the cool night air, adorned by rattling chains, hand-claps, and transistor radio sweeps. Against this backdrop emerged the staggering talent of Shelbi Bennett, who’s preternaturally practiced voice reveals a combination of sweetness and power rarely seen since the days of Dusty Springfield and Cass Elliot. Over the course of three albums, the psychedelic folk of those first stirrings has evolved, as has the band itself. Since signing with the Redwoods Music label in 2015, The Midnight Pine has increasingly drawn from The Redwoods’ collective of accomplished Southern California musicians, swelling to seven members, who’ve added layers upon layers of vintage tones and fleshed out percussion to build on the songs penned by prolific lyricist and co-founder of the band, Alfred Howard. Recorded live at the Audio Design recording studio, where most Redwoods Music recordings are produced using analog equipment, these updated tunes represent The Midnight Pine as it currently stands, with more spirited rock underpinnings informed by electric guitar tones, chewy basslines, and the timeless vibe of Rhodes organ. The new arrangements also give Bennett a chance to build on her own performances. Working with familiar material embellished over countless live performances, her vocals on this new release are less constrained, yet at the same time more refined, offering tantalizing glimpse of the direction this young singer and band are heading.