Back to Sustain

Like a light hike on an easy trail on a sunny spring afternoon, The Pine Hearts' fourth studio album doesn't demand much more from a body than a willingness to take the first step. Using large old-school diaphragm microphones, Back to Sustain's 11 tracks were recorded live in an old community hall on the outskirts of Olympia, Washington. The resulting warm, open soundscape complements the performances by Joey Capoccia (acoustic guitar), Derek McSwain (mandolin) and Dean Shakked (upright bass), which include an appealing mix of originals and covers. A standout in the latter category is Tom Petty's ‘Orphan of the Storm’. The Pine Hearts' repackaging of Petty's countrified elegy for the victims of Hurricane Katrina is a tenderhearted, folksy ballad worthy of the subject. All in all, Back to Sustain represents a relatively spare, gentler take on The Pine Hearts' Americana fare. That's not to say the album lacks punch, as evidenced in the lively bluegrass picking that graces ‘Good Luck by the Sea’ and ‘Standing in the Corners.’ It's all a matter of stride.