Story Tools
Musically evolved beyond their years and worldlier than their Massapequa roots, As Tall As Lions (ATAL, www.astallaslions.com) consists of lead singer/guitarist Daniel Nigro, guitarist Saen Fitzgerald, bassist Julio Tavarez, and drummer Cliff Sarcona.
Their self-titled sophomore album is a landscape of instruments that continually overlap to create a sonic infusion—part orchestral pop, part lounge, with a Latin backbeat holding it all in check. The opener, “Stab City,” has cinematic potential with echoing keyboards and theatrical horns that lift and lower in cascades. Nigro’s passionate falsetto adds magic and mystery to the mix, as each song seamlessly segues into the next. “Love, Love, Love,” “Ghosts of York,” and “Milk and Honey” further channel ATAL’s creative steam with plunging and plummeting guitar riffs layered with shuddering keyboards. “Song For Luna” is a percussion-driven samba with the romanticized lyrics, “Sing into the moonlight/Who could ask for more?”
And honestly, with Nigro’s voice laying down the tracks, you couldn’t ask for more. But apparently, the fans have asked and ATAL has answered with an EP (Into The Flood) this past November. Nigro’s captivating tenor continues to transcend from darkness in one moment to daydreams in the next. This extended play disc is just enough of a good thing to hold us over until their third release, due out Fall 2008.
