As Tall as Lions

As Tall as Lions' self-titled, 2006 sophomore album was one of that year's most overlooked. That's a shame, because the Long Island, New York,-based band's disc was a surprisingly bittersweet, wistful work, full of soulful lullabies about the fleeting nature of life and love. Ghosts and faded lovers populated its dreamy and haunting melodies. Daniel Nigro's vocals hovered often in the upper registers, evoking the spirit of Jeff Buckley, gloomy but sweet. "And even when you find the love, it's fake/And everything you try to touch will break," Nigro sang on "Stab City." His pessimism invaded even the album's most feel-good track, "Love, Love, Love, Love." But you can't argue with the simple logic of a line like "Don't get too attached to the living/Even every single memory's fleeting."

Since then, the band has remained dedicated to playing live, but its recorded output has been thin. A 2007 EP, Into the Flood, featured just five tracks in CD form. Luckily for the band's fans (who tend to be very, very attached), a new full-length, You Can't Take It With You, is due out this year. The band is airing out a few new numbers on its current national tour, which hits the Culture Room on Friday.