Pile’s ninth studio album puts guitars, drums and bass alongside synth, Rhodes and piano, with strings appearing on six of the ten tracks. The result is an alternative rock set with room for noise rock abrasion, post-hardcore weight and punk directness, though the string writing adds another pull to the arrangements. Eden Rayz and Rick Maguire handle most of that work, with Greg Martin shaping the opening section of “Carrion Song.” Candace Clement contributes background vocals.
Pile are tagged to both Boston and Chicago, and Sunshine and Balance Beams arrives through Sooper Records as a paid release. Miranda Serra recorded and mixed it with Seth Manchester at Machines with Magnets in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, while Serra and the band share production duties. Alex Molini also handled additional editing, and Matt Colton mastered the record at Metropolis Studios. Anyone after guitar-led indie rock with synth colour, piano detail and a proper string section should find plenty to investigate here, especially if clean genre lines leave you cold. The ten-track sequence moves from “Balance Beams” through “Carrion Song,” with formats including FLAC 16/44, WAV, AIFF, ALAC and MP3 320, plus vinyl, CD and cassette editions.
