Whiskey in the Pines “Sunshine from the Blue Cactus” (Independent, 2018)

Straight outta Tallahassee, Florida are Whiskey in the Pines, a ¾ bearded combo headed up by singer and principal songwriter David Lareau. They say that their state capital home is two hours from the nearest sun-kissed beach, so there’s little theme parking, surfing or bikini-clad girl watching in this six track E.P. All of which is a roundabout way of getting to the point – this is a fine, fine seven track E.P.

Whiskey in the Pines have blended together twanged, fuzzed up Americana with the caress and subtlety of introspection in the quieter places. Added to this are a handful of flourishes, plus musical dips and skips that demonstrate some solid songwriting chops, along with salutary nods to fellow Floridian, the sadly departed Tom Petty. Opener Answering Machine kicks things off in fine style. A big chorus implores the girl to ‘come on, come on’ to overcome her fears and get back with the guy. Doing it The Wrong Way is a fine reflective tune, it even sneaks in some Fool on the Hill style keys into the dropout to highlight the band’s wider influences and skills. Roses kicks in with some heavy, screaming guitar. Like Mr Petty, they tell us that ‘the waiting is the hardest part’, even namechecking the man as a story of lost love unfolds. The song is a worthy tribute to Gainesville’s finest, as the band are a worthy addition to the Americana landscape.

https://soundcloud.com/whiskeyinthepines/sets/sunshine-from-the-blue-cactus-1