Dark Wood, Dark Water - The Lake and The Lion

The first time The McLovins journeyed north to Keene State, was last November and that's where they met George Barber. George is the front man and guiding force behind The Lake And The Lion. George is equal parts troubador and classic folk vocalist; a very charismatic and talented musician. The Lake and The Lion were the opening act for the band's appearance at Keene, and brought a nice fan-base with them. George was very gracious, really enthusiastic and hung around for most of The McLovin's set. I was really impressed by The Lake and The Lion's set and included a quick review here. Flash forward now to SolarFest 2010 and up popped George Barber again. He was playing between band sets at the festival with his other band Elm City Orchestra. I managed to talk to him for a couple minutes and he told me that The Lake And The Lion had a new ep out. I bought the download and finally got around to listening to it this weekend, so I feel the need to talk about it.




Dark Wood, Dark Water is a fantastic collection of roots rock / folk based music that is both lyrical and haunting. I had heard Tulsa Burmah, All You Ever, Highest Hopes and 11/11 during their November live show, a couple of these were solo acoustic performances, but the studio versions of these are a revelation. The songs on the album all share a stark musical beauty, a slowly building rhythm. There is an overall theme that is lyrically redemptive, this is not cookie-cutter folk rock. There is a uniquely New England sound to this collection, a stark coolness but with sunny promise. This fits squarely with much of the new folk revival, I can hear echoes of The Low Anthem and a whisper of Lovely Feathers or The Swell Season, but this is a very original work, and The Lake And The Lion are a band with a message.

Do yourself a favor and check this out here. The album download is a bargain at $6.00, they also have each of the individual songs streaming so you can check them out for free. These songs will work their way into your head and settle in for the long haul, one listen and you'll be hooked.

The Lake And The Lion

I was poking through the e-mail today, and Carol had sent me a copy of the poster for the upcoming Keene State show on the 21st. I had been meaning to check out the opening act, The Lake And The Lion and so I hopped on Facebook and was very surprised by what I found. Fronted by Lead vocalist and guitarist George Barber, the band has currently 7 members, Morgan Little on Guitar, Andrew Hodgdon on Cello, Chris Clark on Drums, Joe McConaughy on Viola, Dave Sudhalter on Keys & Accordion and Sunshine Rand on Bass. I loved their Arcade Fire cover and I hear a bit of The Low Anthem and the alt-country of Wilco in their music. I could only find a couple of their clips on YouTube, but I really enjoy what I see and hear.

So get your butt up to Keene State College next weekend to support The McLovins, and get ready to enjoy what I'm sure will be a great opening set. I can't wait to get a chance to spend a little time with this band up @ Keene and I'm really excited to see them live. Here's the video for their cover of Arcade Fire's Wake Up, instantly familiar to anyone who's been near a television for the past couple months. Extra credit to the band for listing "M. Ward" and "The Swell Season" as influences..

Here's a link to George Barber's Myspace page, he has couple more very lovely songs there for you to peruse.

George Barber Myspace