As Tall As Lions at Slim's, San Francisco 03/25/07
Posted by Deniz Kuypers on 03.29.2007
This band knows how to write a hook. Its melodies are so refined—both wildly rocking and heartbreaking in exactly the right measure—their music is addictive to say the least.
Slim’s in San Francisco is the kind of place that could serve both as an underground club or a hip French restaurant. It’s all brick walls, high ceilings and black curtains. On Sunday night, however, it felt like a cafeteria at a high school. Though I’m only in my mid-twenties, I was easily the oldest person there. Everyone else was sixteen, pimply, with long hair, baggy trousers, or – in the girls’ case – ultra-short tops with exposed bra straps. And as both the boys and the guys yelled and clamored to get the other sex’s attention in that strange teenage love dance, the bands on stage seemed reduced to mere background noise rather than the reason these kids had gathered here in the first place.
Tonight was a showcase of four young indie-rock bands: As Tall As Lions, Cute Is What We Aim For, Envy on the Coast, and Circa Survive. I’m not sure which of these bands attracted the pubescent crowd, but it sure wasn’t As Tall As Lions. Though the amps were turned up high, I had to strain to hear the band’s songs over the giggling youngsters surrounding me, who all seemed overexcited at being out at eight o’clock on a Sunday night.
You’d think at least the girls would’ve given ATAL some attention, because from a distance, lead singer Daniel Nigro eerily resembles a young Tom Cruise. Seemingly unperturbed by the noise of the crowd, the band offered a short but tight set consisting solely of tracks from their latest, self-titled album. The disc is a splendid exercise in pop-rock that draws its inspiration from the best facets of the genre while at the same time exhibiting a fragile, mysterious, wholly unique melodiousness. This band knows how to write a hook. Their melodies are so refined—both wildly rocking and heartbreaking in exactly the right measure—they are addictive to say the least. Songs like “Ghosts of York” and the excellent “Love Love Love Love Love” are so pitch-perfect and tuneful, you’d think the band spent years and years fine-tuning every chord change; yet, they sound and feel completely natural, as if the band lives and breathes melodiousness. Only occasionally does the band slip into cliché, but they’re forgiven by the magnificent soundscapes they create in the process.
Their recent studio album, As Tall As Lions, is no doubt a polished effort. Props, then, to the band for managing to recreate its sound almost spot-on in a live setting. Daniel's vocals were awe-inspiring. Though he had some problems hitting the high notes on “Ghosts of York,” throughout most of the set his crystal clear voice would rise above the guitars and almost became like an entity itself, a beautiful spectre hovering inside and around these tunes. The interplay with his band mates' voices was wonderful. ATAL uses backing vocals to add an extra layer to their songs, an extra melody, and—on the aforementioned “Love” and closer “Maybe I’m Just Tired”—create a dialogue between Daniel and the band.
Julio Tavarez’s pounding bass showed him to be a much better and soulful bass player than their latest album would suggest (their first, Lafcadio, featured a different bass player). All in all, the band proved itself to consist of fine tunesmiths with an enviable ear for terrific melodies. And they managed to bring that extra edge to their songs and rock out without losing the perfection and sincerity of their studio recordings. ATAL is a band to watch out for.
The 411: During a short set ATAL did what all great live bands do: they took the essence of their album and made it better on stage. Though their songs were not always original, it was thrilling to see a young band with a good supply of incredible melodies up its sleeve display such artistry, skill, and promise.
