Hurry Home Dark Cloud: Pinetop Seven

Perhaps the closest Pinetop Seven has come to mainstream attention came in 2005 when "Witness", a cut from their album The Night's Bloom, appeared on a Paste Magazine sampler disc. A year later, National Public Radio featured a track from rarities compilation Beneath Confederate Lake on the "Song of the Day" segment, a track for which this weblog is named after.

Though popular success has eluded Pinetop Seven, the band has been immensely active in the Chicago music scene since at least the mid-nineties. Mid-Western Americana is perhaps the most apt genre description of the band's work, as their rustic sound is reminicent of a film score to a dark, moody Western.

Their eponymous debut displayed a firm grasp of the Western genre, replete with a cover depicting a bristling battle between two gunslingers. "Tennessee Pride", with its ominously foreboding amble, is the final and best track on the record. The track could be seamlessly placed in an episode of Deadwood...in fact, I'm surprised none of the band's work wasn't enlisted for use in the HBO program.

Sophomore record Rigging the Toplights is unquestionably Pinetop Seven's finest work to date. First of all, the album features "Drying Out", a song that could possibly induce tears from the dismal tone alone - add to that aching lyrics such as "The winter here has not been kind", and you have a simply sublime piece of work.

Their latest LP, The Night's Bloom, displays dramatic creative growth - particularly in tracks like "Born Among the Born Again". A supporting banjo has never been utilized so masterfully, I would argue, as in this album. "Witness" is another standout, once again featuring haunting lyrics that remain with you long after the track is over.

In addition to the offerings here, the band has a detailed website which features numerous downloads of some of their best songs.