I was able to talk with the Dan Nigro (vocals/guitar), Saen Fitzgerald (guitars), and Cliff Sarcona (drums) before one of their shows and ask them a few questions about their band, their music, and how it all works.[mp3_embed blog_plyrs="2"]

On You Can’t Take it With You there is a great mix of musical styles throughout.  Vocally, the album is pretty consistent and similar from track to track.  Instrumentally, they really keep you on your toes.  This is one of those albums that grows on you.

Opening track Circles is a perfect fit for the track #1 slot.  If you’ve never heard As Tall as Lions before, it serves as a great introduction to the group.  This is the first work I’ve heard from them, so it was a good first impression.  This track has backing percussion and drumming that is very uptempo and syncopated, with Nigro’s vocals laying nicely on top.  About three and a half minutes in, you’re formally introduced to the electric guitar.  It’s there from the start, but pretty standard.  At this point we hear Fitzgerald’s guitar break out of the standard with some tremolo picking and high sweeping notes.  This is a great way to introduce the album and band.

The title track You Can’t Take it With You is a relaxing number to start.  It has some easy-going bass with some dissonant bells and electronic drums at the intro, before breaking into a pleasing melodic chord progression at the chorus.  This is what I refer to as a “ying-yang” song, with the verses and chorus not being of quite the same vein, though when played in conjunction they flow seamlessly.  Song writing like this shows a groups ability to grasp the concept of music in general without sticking to the typical chord progressions and musical styles.  If a band can pull off a track like this and make it sound legitimate, I really appreciate it.  When they actually write the song from their feelings and cast aside any preconceptions of how it should sound, I commend that.  ATAL did just this on the title track.

In Case of Rapture is a track that opens up with a catchy “aye-yi-yi” melody from Nigro.  This is another example of the bands ability to mesh multiple influences together and have them work together.  A subtle pad from a smooth church organ and the tireless drumming of drummer are another example of balancing the music in yet another aspect.  Nigro’s vocals are enjoyable in the way that you get the sense that he is just singing what he feels like singing without paying to much concern to the standard constraints of the usual musical writing technique.  Just after two and a half minutes, the band goes into a half-time feel before bringing it right back into the normal format of the song, doing so quite smoothly.

We’s Been Waitin’ has an old time feel to it with Nigro’s gritty radio-EQ’d vocals and a sultry piano layer.  The background vocals and tamborine really help take you back a few decades, all the while keeping you in the 21st century.  A touch of horns and it rounds out nicely to help differentiate it from the rest of the album.

Overall, the latest release from As Tall As Lions is an album worth checking out.  It’s an interesting piece of work by a few guys that have been playing music together since high school.  Years later they’re still at it playing shows and making ears happy nation wide.

You can follow As Tall As Lions on MySpace, Twitter, and Facebook.  They are currently touring, so check out their schedule and catch a show in a venue near you.