Triple Feature: The Pineapple Thief, Grive, Kim Olesen

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TPT needs no introduction, especially since I reviewed their album It Leads to This back in February. The band is unchanged, and, yes, the music is the exact same. I don’t know why I hoped that this EP, Last to Run, might be some sort of experiment from the band, but it absolutely isn’t. This feels like some of the songs that ended up being cut from It Leads to This, more or less. Their music is beyond formulaic at this point.

That isn’t to say it is a bad EP, though. It’s solid, and actually has some pep to it at times. I should also note that Gavin’s drumming is extremely versatile and intricate, more so than he has offered with TPT in some time. “All Because of Me” is a catchy song that’s classic TPT. “Last to Run” is probably the best track on the EP—Gavin’s drumming is absolutely awesome. “Election Day” has something of an ethereal instrumental that I really like. “The World to Me” is an energetic track with some sweet keys, and the closer “No Friend of Mine” could have been left off the EP. Seriously, the chorus feels lazy and the song doesn’t feel fully conceived.

Anyways, this is more TPT, and this EP has its moments. I like that Gavin is drumming harder for them, and there are a couple instrumentals that are worth hearing. I doubt most of these tracks will end up in your playlist, but if you love the band, you’ll love this, too.

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I randomly found the band Grive the other day, and there’s just something about their sound I like. They hail from Paris, France, and they released their first full-length album on October 11^th. It’s called Tales of Uncertainty; the band includes Agnès Gayraud on vocals and guitar and Paul Régimbeau on synth.

They play an alternative ambient rock that some call “slowcore”. It’s rather reserved with hints of doom and melancholy, but it’s not cosmic or “out there”. No, the music is grounded and set in this world. It feels ethereal, yes, but like the spacious ambience of a small club or rust belt city.

The album has eight tracks, and I really like them all. I do think their single “Wait and See” is possibly the weakest song on the album, which is a bit odd. Songs like “Hotel Room” and “Burger Shack” are far more whimsical and interesting.

My favorites come in the second half. I love “Darkest Woman on Earth”, a slow burning piece of melancholic glory; “Go Up the River”; a synth-laden piece of downtempo flow; and “Quicksands”, an echoing and edgy piece of abstract art. The closer “The Loop” is fascinating, as well, with its effervescent vocals and repetitive structure. All of the tracks have a hovering heaviness that lives in your peripheral vision, and so it flirts with us. I’m looking forward to what this band produces in the future.

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I love surprise album drops, and they aren’t always planned by the artist themselves. Kim Olesen is the guitarist and keyboardist for progressive metal band Anubis Gate. He recently stumbled upon an electronic album he made over 25 years ago and decided to share it with the world. The album is called Geography Music.

There’s one thing I was to emphasize about this record: it is certainly electronic in genre, but it is different than most such albums. There is plenty of bass and acoustic guitar throughout, and the sheer expressiveness of the keyboard melodies lifts this album considerably. Instead of loops and textures alone, this album has real melody and structure.

The record has seven tracks, and they are all great. My favorites are definitely the first three tracks, “In the Desert”, “Sphere 1”, and “Sub Aqua”. The tones here are extremely welcoming and warm, and Kim shows both his melodic and abstract sides. Two more favorites are the frigid edge of “Tundra” and the spunky bounce of “Exit: Simplon Tunnel”. All of the tracks are wonderful, though, and for someone who has never released an electronic album, this offering is incredibly mature and layered. Fans of electronic music should give it a shot.