Other Lives: Tamer Animals: Contemplative, majestic, emotional, lyrical indie rock straight out of Oklahoma. This band makes use of a wide variety of instruments, and feature echo-y, falsetto male vocals. Really constant sound throughout, but each track manages to still maintain its beautiful individuality. FCC clean. Most of these deserve airplay, but first go for 3, 10, 4, 8
1) 2:40 Steady repeated horns, with lyrical violin
2) 3:47 Tambourine and big vocal chorus, with more wandering and softer verses sprinkled with light piano.
3) 4:11 Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke says he wishes he wrote this song. Like a low-key indie version of a Western movie soundtrack. Makes you feel like you’re galloping through the desert under the moonlight.
4) 4:08 Arcade Fire-like feel, with piano and vocal choruses up front (title track.
5) 4:57 Strummed country guitar, ambient background soundscape, tinkling piano, chill vocals, build-up in intensity toward the end.
6) 3:50 Steady percussion and piano, with echoed layered vocals in a sort of Beatles-like harmony.
7) 4:09 Deliberate, with steady repeated piano chords, twangy guitar, and crooning vocals. A song to rock back and forth to.
8) 2:21 True to its name, a track filled with woodwind instrumentals, but also background piano and airy vocals and deep bass drums.
9) 4:27 Distant-sounding drums, quavering violins, and echo-y vocals.
10) 3:18 Calm violins, piano, and crooning, embedded in a rich soundscape.
11) 2:32 Ambient sounds, distant horn melody drifting in and out.
12) 3:49 Somehow sounds low-key and triumphant at the same time; steady drums, violin, crooning.
Kyle Vandenberg