The Blue Pines - Circling

​The Blue Pines

Circling
self-released; 2026

​By Dino DiMuro
​

Any band that quotes the late, great Daniel Johnston in their press release is okay by me! The Blue Pines crank out indie rock and Americana from Grand Rapids, Michigan where I've visited a few times so I feel a connection already. After two studio albums they've just released a new single titled Circling, which they describe as exploring "the rollercoaster of searching for and ultimately finding love, built on a driving rhythm section, lush piano and organ, layered acoustic guitars and tasty leads."

This is a new iteration of the band for 2026: Tyler James (vocals/guitar), Brian Ritzer (bass/vocals), Adam Singer (guitar/vocals), Aaron Humphrey (keys) and Mike Dorman (drums/vocals). You can see that almost every player also sings, and the boys are proud of their "pretty compelling vocal harmonies." The vocals remind of an all-male version of X (Exene and John Doe) with the power pop of Sugar and the propulsive rock of Fendahline. The band already has an impressive track record including an opening slot for Christone "Kingfish" Ingram on a national tour, live broadcast performances on several Michigan stations and finally a nomination for the WYCE Jammie Awards. 

Thematically they hope this song can "serve as an anthem for those currently in the wrong relationship, carrying heartache or dusting themselves off after a heartbreak. It’s an optimistic encouragement to 'hold on' and keep moving forward towards real love." The track was recorded and mixed by Rick Johnson at Cold War Studio in Grand Rapids, with mastering by Lawrence McKay also in the GR.

It's a quick thing, but the track starts bracingly with a rapid-fire stutter that caught me by surprise and had me check my player! Then the song blasts in at full power playing the chorus first, with all instruments firing and all harmonies in place. As we head into the verses the heavy rock power is leavened with picked guitars and keys, and you can hear the Americana thing happening. The arrangement seems to deconstruct in real time, becoming almost ornate, while the vocalist (which one?) lays out his story in a disbelieving cadence like The Cars. The chorus proper is a multi-tiered thing of beauty, and I double down on my comparison to X. 

Right in the middle the band does a ballsy thing by stopping for dead silence, then starting over with just vocals and guitars. All players slowly return, with the pause adding even more power to the killer chorus. A lead guitar runs parallel to the final section without pulling focus too much.

I'm always amazed when a band can reset the very temperature of a room in three and a half minutes. A great track totally worth playing and playlisting!

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