
A new single release from Owls & Lions delivers a cinematic backbone and a warmth that comes with a very particular character, and this ends up being something that you get quite attached to as the whole thing comes through with this robust and lush feel.
"Starting Over", originally performed by Chris Stapleton, already boasts that southern kissed Americana and country tonality from the get-go but the version performed by this band keeps true to the original while adding their own spin and it feels good to listen to.
The instrumentation throughout this track is so full-bodied and there's never a piece of emptiness so the whole thing creates this atmosphere that you want to fall right into, and this is part of what gives it this sort of vastness and cinematic tone.
I adore their ability to pay homage to the original track but yet still build on that and make it fuller and in doing so the song speaks volumes for the band and how they put together their songs.
Being able to cover a song like this is no easy mission and there's this great sort of blend of color and edginess that both come through, but it's all got this wonderful heart in that performance.
The energy is something that really does it for me on this song because it's almost as if it was recorded live on the floor where the players are just feeding off of each other the entire time and this gives the song the feeling of being alive.
Owls & Lions manage to keep the love in the soundscape and push the envelope ever so slightly so that you can hear this new energy coming through but also understand that it's a love letter to the original.
This track has a lot of soul, and it showcases the band's presence and how they perform their songs as if it's just second nature to them.
It's pretty clear that everyone's having a great time doing this and they put a lot of attention to the details in terms of covering the song, but it never loses that character, and it never loses that heart and that may be the most important factor of the whole thing.
Upon listening to this track, I took it upon myself to take a little bit of a deep dive into some previous releases from the group and I'm glad that I did because I found a cover of Tina Turner's "Simply the Best" which was outstanding from start to finish and gives off a beautiful kind of rustic folk tonality to it.
I do have to say though one of my absolute favorites is "Irish Goodbyes (Rowdy Mix)" which was released last year I believe, and this track shows the more vivacious side of the band.
You just can't lose with these guys and from here on out I will definitely be paying attention to whatever they're releasing because I know it's going to be good, and I purely enjoy the fact that they're releasing cover songs along with their originals and doing it in their own way.
This is a band that's taking their path musically and delivering a great set of originals and covers and with all that put together it really makes you want to see them live, especially after listening to the records and hearing the kind of energy that's put out on those, you just know that seeing them live would be outstanding.
Owls & Lions delivers a damn good time no matter what they're doing, and I would suggest checking out the new single and also making sure you dig into some of their other catalog because it's more than worth your time.
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