The Pineapple Thief: Tightly Unwound (2008)

Glenn Astarita

Senior Contributor since 1997

Longtime contributor to AAJ and Downbeat, Jazz Review, EjazzNews, Radio DirectX.

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Published: October 16, 2008

This four-piece unit sways along a thin line, where alternative rock attains a fruitful coexistence with more progressive musical elements. Founded by guitarist, keyboardist and vocalist Bruce Soord for his solo ventures, Pineapple Thief subsequently solidified its group-centric entity back in 2002. Fast-forwarding to this 2008 release, the musicians' methodology looms as a paradox of sorts. Think sophisticated pop, spiced with crunching alt-rock grooves and then toss in some strings and spacey overlays to complement Soord's endearing vocals.

On the title piece, the quartet homogenizes psychedelic guitar parts with a touch of Nirvana-style grunge rock. But Soord alters the overall tone with acoustic guitar voicings amid mellotron (or sampler) work as they generate drifting attributes to offset the hard-rock vibe. And in other regions of sound and scope, they pursue an ethereal gait via gravitating choruses and Soord's reflective vocalizations.

The band kindles a touch of early '70s Pink Floyd during the album's closer, "Too Much To Lose," where sweeping keys, and an ambient wall of sound segues into military-march progressions and driving rock pulses. It's a multi-part endeavor that highlights the musicians' depth, teeming with a near seamless fusion of old school ideas coupled with a modernist edge. Otherwise, Soord's largely melodic lyricism spawns a rather mature pop mindset. And after a few spins it all starts to make near perfect sense as the band's ruminations are shaded with a mark of authenticity.

Track Listing: My Debt To You; Shoot First; Sinners; The Sorry State; Tightly Wound; My Bleeding Hand; Different World; And So Say All Of You; Too Much To Lose.

Personnel: Bruce Soord: vocals, guitar, keyboards; Jon Sykes: bass; Keith Harrison: drums; Steve Kitch: keyboards.

Record Label: Kscope Music
Style: Beyond Jazz