Pioneer

Madison chamber-pop trio Pioneer finds Kenny Monroe stepping out from behind his bass duties with local indie-popsters Crane Your Swan Neck and saddling into the role of main songwriter. Dynamic ripples of Jacqueline Kursel’s cello rise and fall over Monroe’s wandering chord progressions, as his low, quivering croons float across the top. From the seasick waltz of “In Summertime” to the neo-folk sweetness of “I Like You” to the aching grandeur of “Memorial Day” (from this year’s Winter Tour EP), it becomes clear that Monroe has still found a voice of his own within a crowded genre.  

Updated 07/18/2012