Search - As Tall As Lions :: As Tall As Lions

Album of the Year 2006

Joseph J. Micciulli | NY, NY | 08/13/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Check these guys out it might change your life. If you like Coldplay, U2, Mars Volta, and/or Keane you'll love the ambient rock force known as As Tall As Lions. Not the typical Long Island sound, these cats from Massapequa have a big year ahead of them if this album gets the exposure it deserves. A more mature/developed sound than their debut Lafcadio, the opening track Stab City is enough alone to keep the listener interested for the entire album. Highlights include Stab City, A Break A Pause, Love Love Love, Milk & Honey, Where Do I Stand, and the hidden track. Seriously pick this up it won't disappoint. And be sure to check these guys in concert...they bounce around everywhere on the midsize club scene. PICK FOR ALBUM OF THE YEAR 2006!!!!!!!!"

As Tall As Lions - Self Titled

Justin Holt | Rochester, NY | 12/29/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Pitting the name of your band against the king of the jungle is daring, an inevitable open door for the reviewers to lambaste you.



Unless it's justified.



But As Tall As Lions, an indie band from Long Island, NY leaves nothing to chance with their second album, which shares the same name as the band.



And after hearing this, in the not so grand scale of today's music, this band should be taller than the majority of the faux lions out there.



Sure, a lot of their songs are built around love--be it lost, found, or never really there to begin with--and the bulk of their lyrics could have come from a melancholy teenager's notebook, and because of that some might pigeonhole them as emo, a distinction which is not only unfair, but nowadays a kiss of death. But nothing ever feels woe is me, even when it is. The melodies are ambient, at times atmospheric, even reminiscent of some Sigur Ros (though with words that you can actually understand). And As Tall As Lions sounds similar enough to Keane to mention it; but they're so much better, their sound deeper, and Daniel Nigro twice the singer.



Above everything the album is honest.



Beyond that it's littered with homerun after homerun. The opening track "Stab City" sets the ebb and flow of what's to follow, from "Song For Luna", a lovely ditty sounding every bit like a soundtrack to any wannabe protagonist who's wandered aimlessly through the mental streets of time gone by, to the closer "Maybe I'm Just Tired", a heartbreaking confessional where Nigro sings, "But I know I'm not good enough for you" like he means it.



From top to bottom there aren't anything even resembling fillers.



And somewhere in the middle of the album, from "Ghosts of York", to "Milk and Honey", to "I'm Kicking Myself" they manage a few masterpieces.



The album is outstanding, easily one of the best of 2006.



And though there aren't any streamers, fireworks, or larger than life billboards to promote its release, make no mistake this is As Tall As Lion's coming out party.



For more reviews check out [...]"

Authentically Awesome

Brian M. Lear | Portland, OR | 01/12/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"You can tell by the time you reach 1:38 in "Maybe I'm Just Tired", this is a special kind of band--one that transcends previous record heights, and does post-rock, ind-progressive music "right". And by 03:10 the deal is sealed--the ecstasy is fully engulfing you! The kind of band that makes you proud to be a member of the current generation yet not a cardboard cutout of the latest trend--just into good music . As the line "I know I'm not good enough...I know I'm not good enough for you...." flows, and the drums make their slow crescendo...the entire emotional impact hits and it is shiver inducing. This will make some people tick and others not, you cannot really say who it will be.



Fans of instrumental mastery will be satisfied here too. Each member is a true artist with heaps of taste and prowess. All builds and breakdowns are performed with expert precision AND emotion.



Yet what ties it all together is the lead singer's authentic, strong voice. It is not bound by conventional rules and seems to flow directly from the soul. This is the type of album you can sit and read along with the words and really get something out of it.



4/5 because there are other bands out there doing similar stuff. I reserve 5/5 for excellent bands who have little or no competition in their genre. As Tall as Lions has in some ways the MOST competition--that in the indie, power pop category. To make a good album in this genre has proven to be very difficult, and these guys have made a solid effort. Comaprisons will be made to Muse, Jeff Buckley, and Radiohead...which are valid but don't really capture the modern feel of this very tight band. Worth checking out in my opinion~!"