Sky Lion EP Release Show 12/30/2011

The tiny 7^th Street Entry is packed when Sky Lion takes stage at 11:30, and Dexter Wolfe (guitar/vocals) precedes the 10-song set with a sincere articulation of the now-being-released EP’s having been two years in the making, modestly acknowledging the large significance of this show to the crowd.

They begin their set with “Answering Machine,” lovely and melancholy—and I feel genuinely happy to be watching this band. This is followed by the fiercely upbeat rhythms intertwined with brief periods of gentler guitar melodies of “Show Your Teeth,” during which I notice drummer Kevin Goff grinning largely numerous times, and my impression of a band ecstatic to be making music is strengthened. Soft, soothing, and twang-ridden “Weeping Willow” succeeds this, then the grandiose “In the Fall,” a constantly transitioning masterpiece of alternating softly-starting build-ups to strongly-beating, heavier folk rhythms, ending fantastically and climactically.

The set continues, rich with epic build-ups, groovy folk melodies, and twangy country-esque vocals with “Westbound,” “Wolf,” “Front-Page Elegy,” the either/or named “Twilight”/”Owl,” and “Cold Night Sky,” all of which are accompanied by a constantly dancing audience. Any one of these songs is just wondrous and lovely enough to be the show’s finale, but the quirky, eccentric “Arctic Ode” concludes the set list with its two distinct yet wonderfully cohesive sects, the first featuring a catchy repetition of lyrics and melody, the second heavier, beautiful, and uplifting—the entire crowd enjoys the entire thing visibly, and a “ONE MORE SONG” chant reigns almost immediately after the band exits the stage. They graciously oblige, and an unnamed song featuring leading vocals from bassist/guitarist Jordan Morantez, who had since sung harmony to Wolfe’s leading vocals, finishes the show. It’s another beautiful epic, with Morantez’s vocals sound gorgeously desperate while he appears elated to be singing.

            The entire show has exceeded the expectations of a five-dollar event, and I can’t wait to hear what 2012 will hold for Sky Lion—maybe a full-length LP?

            For now, their self-titled EP is available on iTunes (as well as www.cdbaby.com, for those of you who would prefer a physical copy). The track listing goes as follows:

1. In the Fall
2. Show Your Teeth
3. Westbound
4. Cold Night Sky
5. Arctic Ode

Sky Lion at 7th Street Entry (12/30/2011)

emma ♥ facebook.com/theskylionband