Review by Dom Vigil
Northernmost have taken four very diverse sounding songs and brought them together for one great collaborative effort with their most recent EP, Pinedale. Kicking off the EP is the soft opener, “Greenbrier,” which hosts some beautiful guitar work that will prove to be a prominent aspect of the album. The visuals in the lyricism in this track are another strong point as well. “Greenbrier” is followed by “Milo,” which is carried by strong bass lines, pretty clean guitar work and low, emotional vocals. As the song progresses, it seems to bloom, breaking into beautiful vocal harmonies and really showcasing the strong guitar tone.
The change in sound between “Milo” and the following track, “Cloudy” is not only ambitious, but it totally works. “Cloudy” is warmer and much more upbeat than “Milo,” but those same strong aspects from the first song still resonate with this song. The vocal harmonies are a selling point on “Cloudy,” but no one thing seems to outshine the other on this full sounding track. The guitar work is beautiful and soothing, the drumming is strong and keeps up the pace, and the vocals, like I mentioned before, are flawless. “Cloudy,” fitting its name well, feels like fall, making it the perfect time of the year to be listening to this song.
“Afterglow” rounds out the EP and brings it full circle, sounding similar to “Milo” in the low vocals. The differing sounds throughout this track are what set it apart from the others, though, as it starts off a little loud and fast before breaking into this quiet moment with just beautiful vocals and clean guitar.
Even though each track on Pinedale has its own unique sound and mood, Northernmost also have a strong backbone that can be found in the guitar work and vocal harmonies of each song. These strengths connect all four songs very well despite their differing sounds, creating an EP that flows incredibly well and tells a story that listeners will be dying to hear more of.
Rating: 4.5/5
Listen to “Cloudy”
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