Featuring David Huckfelt and Benson Ramsey, The Pines combine roots, blues and indie-rock to create a raw haunting sound that is inventive and compelling. Their Red House Records debut Sparrows in the Bell is a darkly romantic collection of original songs and traditional tunes that have been updated for a new generation of folk fans. Like Josh Ritter, The Be Good Tanyas and other roots acts of their generation, The Pines create timeless music that is hip and relevant yet evokes century-old ghosts, inspired by romantic writers and roving troubadours. Mixed by Tom Tucker (Prince, Jonny Lang), Sparrows in the Bell was produced by The Pines and Benson’s father Bo Ramsey (Greg Brown, Lucinda Williams). It was recorded in just four days with the help of a whole host of Minneapolis talent including bassist Chris Morrissey (Mason Jennings, Andrew Bird), drummer J.T. Bates (Michel Portal, John Gorka), singer JoAnna James, members of the Spaghetti Western String Co. and Benson’s brother, keyboardist Alex Ramsey. The centerpiece of the record, though, is The Pines themselves. David’s strong voice and rhythmic acoustic guitar blend seamlessly with Benson’s soft raspy vocals and grooving electric guitar riffs. Whether singing a wistful love ballad like “Without a Kiss” or a restless song of unfulfilled dreams like “Let’s Go,” The Pines walk the thin line between sweetness and sadness, hearkening back to the folk, blues and country songs that they heard growing up in small-town Iowa.
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