A Valley Son
But The World Moves
By Lauren Rosier
At the beginning of the year, Brooklyn’s A Valley Son introduced their debut recording effort, the Sunset Park EP. At the time, the four-piece had barely been playing together for a year and a delivered a solid effort with the release and now with their first Full Length album, But The World Moves.
The opening track, “Take Me There”, showcases the band’s musicianship with its electric guitars, while on “Mad God 20/20”, their songwriting skills take center stage. “The Ghost of Philip Seymour Hoffman” was renamed from the EP’s “Dark Places” and channels indie roots-based rocker, M. Ward, through its vocal delivery, catchy melodies, and natural songwriting abilities.
The quartet showcases their storytelling abilities on “In the Low Light of the Late Afternoon” where they tell a story about two males, Johnny and Sammy. Johnny “brought the drugs/because he always brought the best” and then was found “…naked on the bathroom floor/begging for his mom/I’m sorry Johnny/but your mom’s/she’s been gone for the years…”. While Sammy “hit a guy/yeah, now he’s got a gun/he says don’t worry, it ain’t loaded/I’m just having a little fun.” This track is reminiscent is work by Bright Eyes’ Conor Oberst and indie folk band, Dawes.
However, the band goes straight rock ‘n roll on tracks “Leaving is Easy” and “Lights in the Sky”. On “Leaving is Easy”, the electrifying guitars paired with the raw vocals from lead singer and songwriter, Trey Powell, deliver an infectious, high energy performance. The first single from the band’s EP, “Lights in the Sky,” is bound to get stuck in your head in the most positive way possible. Its energetic guitars and lush harmonies pull together an indie folk sound that channels elements that are reminiscent of Bruce Springsteen.
The track “The World, it Moves” blends elements of indie folk, Americana, and rock ‘n roll into a terrific song that showcases both the band’s musicianship and songwriting. Overall, the debut is truly an exciting and refreshing debut effort. But the World Moves is a stellar collection of rock ‘n roll and seamlessly blends elements of alternative, indie pop, and folk, into pure rock ‘n roll.
Rating: Bad-Ass
To check out the band’s live show, the next is on September 16th at Rockwood Music Hall in New York City.
