When I first heard Feather River Canyon Blues, released almost exactly two years ago, I never expected it to become one of my favorite records of the year. Sometimes, an album just lands at the right moment. Naturally, I was eager to hear its follow-up, Crazy Arms, the fourth album from Pigeon Pit (Olympia, WA), especially after reading frontwoman Lomes Oleander’s concise description of the record: “This is a bunch of love songs for how fucked up we are, and how beautiful it is how we try anyway.”
With that sentiment in mind, Crazy Arms feels like a snapshot of the present—a record that resonates with the chaos, heartache, and resilience of our times. Pigeon Pit’s unique blend of punk, country, bluegrass, and emo may sound semi-acoustic on paper, but it’s nothing short of electrifying in execution. Pigeon Pits both evokes and transcends comparison. While The Weakerthans, Bright Eyes, Pinegrove, Nana Grizol and Neutral Milk Hotel come to mind (and Gorilla Biscuits gets namedropped), Pigeon Pit sounds fully and authentically themselves. The communal energy and raw passion behind every strum, beat, and scream are downright infectious, the line between joy and goosebumps razor thin.
Even if the term “campfire punk” initially makes you cringe, Pigeon Pit has a way of disarming any skepticism. Before you know it, you’ll be waving the white flag, singing along with the choir, and fully immersed in their anarchic freedom. With Crazy Arms, Pigeon Pit captures something rare—a messy, heartfelt celebration of the beauty in trying.
Crazy Arms is out now via Ernest Jenning Record Co.