Photo: Daniel Topete

In the fine line between the raw, confessional nature of emo and the exploratory, grandiose nature of indie, you will find Pinegrove. Formed in Montclair, New Jersey by childhood friends Evan Stephens Hall and drummer Zack Levine, the band takes its name from a grid of pine trees on Hall’s campus grounds, which he described as “beautiful and regulated, yet natural and messy.” Purposeful or not, the sentiment has become a central thesis for Pinegrove’s approach to music.

Pinegrove’s latest single “The Alarmist” is a beautiful and heartfelt four-minute offering that feels cosmically vast in scope. The band carves out a space for themselves, playing off one another and only reels themselves in to let frontman Hall’s vocals flow out like unmitigated poetry.

“So it would be good to talk / For my sanity / Now do what you feel like you gotta do / But be good to me,” utters Hall in a pained whisper, nearly indiscernible. It is a hushed murmur that is delivered just as powerfully as the soaring cathartic disclosures that elevate “The Alarmist” to its ephemeral highs.  The band spoke on the underlying inspiration be “The Alarmist”

“this song tries to look at the negotiation of space between two people—balancing comfort and closeness with a need for independence. the song takes place in the first moment you find yourself alone after an intense experience with a friend, sorting through the layers of history, head swimming; revisiting frames of memory, seeing your relationship (& yourself in it) with startling clarity.“

“The Alarmist” arrives as a final glimpse into the band’s forthcoming album Marigold, which is set to arrive January 17 via Rough Trade Records. Marigold has already begun to rake in critical acclaim from critics, and one listen to “The Alarmist” makes it perfectly clear as to why. 

Listen “The Alarmist” below:

Watch the acoustic video below: