“We believe in some pretty strict rules,” says Pink Stones frontman Hunter Pinkston. “We also believe in breaking them. This band was built on reimagining tradition, on honoring the old ways while pushing them someplace new.” On their intoxicating new album, Thank the Lord…it’s The Pink Stones, Pinkston and his bandmates do precisely that, offering up a joyful, adventurous take on ’60s twang that blurs the lines between cosmic country, folk, bluegrass, soul, and psychedelic rock. Recorded once again with co-producer/engineer Henry Barbe (Drive-By Truckers, Deerhunter) in the band’s hometown of Athens, GA, the collection showcases a more deliberate, mature side of The Pink Stones’ sound, one that reflects all the personal and sonic growth that’s defined the last few years for the hard touring five-piece. The songs on Thank the Lord… are humble and timeless, full of wry, sardonic wit and rich, evocative storytelling, and the performances are easygoing and amiable, with an effortlessly natural feel that belies the masterful craftsmanship behind them. The result is a record that wears its influences proudly on its sleeve, even as it a subverts expectation, a work of poignant longing and playful humor that tips its cap to everyone from Merle Haggard and Earl Scruggs to Don Williams and The Byrds as it looks both forwards and backwards all at once.
