I’d feel better if I had paid for this one

Pine View Grocery

While the moniker may evoke images of someone who too-often pretends to hate Dalmatian puppies, Glen Closer’s music is fortunately craftier than the name. Pine View Grocery is their debut, a thoughtful collection of pop rock tunes, full of hooks, without the gratuitous frills that saturate much of the competition. The New Jersey trio’s performances not only show maturity in musicianship, but more importantly in judgment. At times they sound bigger and fuller than many five-piece bands. Then, when appropriate, they accentuate their reflective and often poignant lyrics with a gentle serenity that even a quartet would wreck. “Cooler Than Gandhi” takes a more tongue-in-cheek lyrical approach by starting with the line “In the bar she said, ‘I’d rather be dead than to stay with you tonight.’”

Drummer Joe Rubin and bassist Johnna White form a solid rhythm section while songs like “They Won’t Mind” prove that guitarist Jim Baeszler has learned a George Harrison lick or two in his day. The dissimilar acoustic/electric rocker “Blame City” proves it wasn’t his last positive lesson. While the production is relatively unembellished, all three members mix it up by changing vocal duties from song to song. Tracks like “Gone” had me imagining what it might be like if the Ass Ponys kidnapped Bob Weir and Donna Godchaux for an outdoor concert by the woods. While getting free music is a perk of this trade, I’d feel better if I had paid for this one. They deserve it.

 

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