I often have to search far and wide for new music on the blog. It's always handy to have a few tools to make my work easier. One that I want to point you to if you are in search for new music, in particular new Irish music, is Breaking Tunes. The non-for-profit website aims to support new Irish artists with a Bandcamp style site that hosts tracks and has a brief spiel about the band. If are looking for new Irish music, this is a good place to start. And I started here looking for new americana artists.
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"The Whispering Pines" are a five piece hailing out of Cork city made up of members John O'Sullivan, Molly Forsythe, David Backhouse, and Kevin O'Connor. They class themselves as low-fi americana. Not Smog as what first came to my head but a relaxed, laid-back style. It works perfectly going on the songs that they have released so far. The group formed in 2014 and have been working together since. They have been releasing live tracks occasionally on Facebook and put out a six track E.P. at the end of 2015 on Soundcloud. "You Country Boys" showcases the lovely lo-fi approach that the band take to the americana genre.
Full of soft harmonies and gently vocals, the songs give a real homely feel. Opening with the gentle "My Pearl", the melody moves and glides with the vocals sailing over the top. It's a lovely tune that seems perfect for a barndance waltz.
The very playful "Whispering Pines" is the most fun track on the E.P. The interaction between the lead vocals are perfectly timed against the jazzy guitar licks and it's only accentuated once the song hits the chorus.
Trying to find the influences of The Whispering Pines is easy enough as the band offer a quick guide to their style. Citing influences such as The Low Anthem, Josh Ritter and Wilco, the band have a clear inkling for acoustic led soft melodies. Their sound is more country, I think, than their influences might suggest. "Pack Up Your Sorrows" feels like the Carter family reincarnate. The song could feels like a depression era country tune with it's hopeful chorus and jaunty melody.
I'd be interested to see what approach "The Whispering Pines" would take if they plan further recordings. The style of these songs do suggest the lo-fi approach is right for them but it would be great to hear some of these songs with a full band behind them. But this is a great start for a band that has a lot of promises. Lo-fi americana is a genre that you don't hear enough of these days so more of the same please.
You can catch up with "The Whispering Pines" on Facebook. Check out that six track EP on Soundcloud.
Full of soft harmonies and gently vocals, the songs give a real homely feel. Opening with the gentle "My Pearl", the melody moves and glides with the vocals sailing over the top. It's a lovely tune that seems perfect for a barndance waltz.
The very playful "Whispering Pines" is the most fun track on the E.P. The interaction between the lead vocals are perfectly timed against the jazzy guitar licks and it's only accentuated once the song hits the chorus.
Trying to find the influences of The Whispering Pines is easy enough as the band offer a quick guide to their style. Citing influences such as The Low Anthem, Josh Ritter and Wilco, the band have a clear inkling for acoustic led soft melodies. Their sound is more country, I think, than their influences might suggest. "Pack Up Your Sorrows" feels like the Carter family reincarnate. The song could feels like a depression era country tune with it's hopeful chorus and jaunty melody.
I'd be interested to see what approach "The Whispering Pines" would take if they plan further recordings. The style of these songs do suggest the lo-fi approach is right for them but it would be great to hear some of these songs with a full band behind them. But this is a great start for a band that has a lot of promises. Lo-fi americana is a genre that you don't hear enough of these days so more of the same please.
You can catch up with "The Whispering Pines" on Facebook. Check out that six track EP on Soundcloud.
