“We Knew Before It Fell” by Evil Level Live – A Song Feature

 

     The guitar virtuosity is the immediate draw to “We Knew Before It Fell,” particularly with the appeal of a clean, crisp ascending lick. Gradually, the vocals emerge—beginning with a subtle hum that builds in intensity—before giving way to the track’s minimal, carefully placed lyrics.
 
     Much of the song from Evil Level Live is characterized by Eastern sensibilities, although a more traditional Rock guitar abruptly breaks through at the two-minute mark. At times, the female vocals are reminiscent of Clare Torry’s in the Pink Floyd masterpiece “The Great Gig In The Sky.” The vocals flawlessly and seamlessly meander through the scale.
 
     “We Knew Before It Fell” is a single from the album “Control Room Lullaby” by Evil Level Live, who are based in Manchester, UK. In the 13-year history of Indie Obsessive, this might be the first feature by a band with a name that is a palindrome. Looking at the credits on Spotify, the contributors to the single include Christophe Suzat (engineer), James Blish (keyboards), Ben Yamud (drums), Silas Zout (guitar), Jean Pierre Avidol (bass). Sandy Malo is identified as “Studio Personnel,” which in this case we assume translates to “vocalist.”
 
     While referring to their album, the band explained:
  “’Control Room Lullaby’ is an album born inside the machine. In a silent control room, systems keep running while human doubt quietly emerges. Blending dark progressive rock with cinematic textures, Evil Level Live explores control, silent collapse, and the persistence of consciousness. A lullaby for a monitored world — gentle on the surface, deeply unsettling underneath.”
 
     “We Knew Before It Fell” by Evil Level Live

“Owl Song” by Borrowed Feathers – A Song Feature

 

     For the first 88 seconds of “Owl Song,” the vocals and instruments cooperate in forming a cohesive and fluid melodic presentation. Thus, the song from Borrowed Feathers opens with a pair of elegantly layered guitars that are soon supported by a bass-and-drums rhythm section. When the vocals arrive, they maintain the same melodic focus, especially as the band repeats “who,” a refrain that nods to the song’s title—as does the owl’s “hoots” that close the track.
 
     Still, the power of “Owl Song” is not in its egalitarian contributions to the overall appeal. Instead, the main portion of the song showcases individual skills of the band members. Our favorite is the harmonica, but strong cases for excellence are available for other instrumental contributions. For example, the guitar solo that begins around 2:53 is another highlight of the song.
 
     The members of Borrowed Feathers are Benjamin Bonin (vocals, guitar), Kalled Ashour (harmonica, vocals), John Jack Brennan (guitar), Magz The Outlawed (drums, backing vocals), Zackary Johnson (bass, backing vocals), and Karrah Bates (keys, backing vocals). “Owl Song” is one of three songs on their recently released album. “The End Is Always Near.” The album, which was produced by Jay Andrix, is available via Bandcamp (CLICK HERE).

     Borrowed Feathers are a Denver, Colorado based Psych Rock & Blues band known for their nostalgic original songs and rocking covers of the 60s and 70s. Quoting content that we agree with regarding their recent release:
  “’Owl Song’ is the ultimate road trip companion, offering a breezy, feel-good anthem with an infectious hook that lingers long after the last chorus. This track captures the freedom of the open road, blending vibrant melodies with an irresistible rhythm, making it ideal for playlists like Road Trip Sing-Alongs, Fresh Finds, or Indie Sunshine Drive. Crafted with the spirit of adventure in mind, it invites listeners to roll down the windows and let the miles fly by.”
 
      “Owl Song” by Borrowed Feathers

Website: https://borrowedfeathers.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/borrowed.feathers/

Lyrics of “Owl Song” by Borrowed Feathers (with many best guesses)
I had a notion
Of who I was
And who I claimed to be.
Follow the motion.
Catch your sleep.
See what you should have seen.
Who, who….
 
Who are you?
And who am I?
Who pulls the strings?
Or who decides?
Who. who….
 
Well, driving down the road
A midday Kansas stroll
Searching for the answers.
 
Don't know where to go.
[Not known]
Got to gain control.
Take me from this place.
Learn that Rock ‘n Roll
 
Losing all control
To save my battered soul
Playing that Rock ‘n Roll
 
Learn that Rock ‘n Roll
Losing all control
Save my feathered soul
 
Learn that Rock ‘n Roll
Losing all control
Save my feathered soul
 
Who, who….
 
Who are you?
And who am I?
 
Who pulls the strings?
Or who decides?
Who. who….

“Sawdust” and “How You Know Things” by Sleep Kicks – Song Features

 

     Sleep Kicks, a Norwegian quartet, recently released the EP “How You Know Things.” All six tracks are recommended, but we particularly gravitated toward two – “Sawdust” and “How You Know Things pt. I.” The first is a Post Punk gem that was originally shared as a single in 2023. The second is Part I of three songs that can be considered the “title track” of the EP.
 
     “Sawdust” was written shortly after the band’s debut album “The Afterdrop.” Sleep Kicks explain that the single was evidence that they did not intend to rest on laurels of the debut album; the urge to just keep working and pushing towards new achievements is thinly veiled in the lyrics of “Sawdust.” Both the lyrics and the interplay between the vocalists interplay are masterful in the final segment of the song, when the suffix “ing” takes a lead role:

Can’t stop the bleeding

The circus is leaving

For another town

Always competing

Never retreating

Eventually healing

Failure is fleeting

Patterns repeating

For the soldier and the clown

 
     Sleep Kicks are based in Oslo, Norway. They are Terje Kleven (guitar, vocals), Frode Gundersen (drums), Jørn Landbakk (guitar), and Stephen Gardener (bass, synth). The credits of “Sawdust” show that Jade Marie Hasselgård contributed background vocals. Talking about their music, Landbakk once explained:
  “We quickly found out that the four of us have too many different influences to be able to stay within the strict boundaries of post-punk. Instrumental post-rock dynamics can be heard in several songs, while others lean on an almost krauty repetitiveness.”
 
     “Sawdust” by Sleep Kicks

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sleepkicks
Website: https://elasticstage.com/sleepkicks

Lyrics of “Sawdust” by Sleep Kicks

Not a sparkle, not a sound
Bruised and battered on the ground
Collecting dogtags on a chain
Yet another failed campaign
Way outnumbered and unprepared
And all ambitions left for dead
 
Can’t stop the bleeding
The circus is leaving
For another town
Failure is fleeting
For the soldier and the clown
 
Filter teardrops, sweat and blood
Through the sawdust and the mud
Time to reload, go again
Find the strength to entertain
Walk the tightrope for the crowd
Before the silence gets too loud
 
Can’t stop the bleeding
The circus is leaving
For another town
Always competing
In search of a meaning
And the clock keeps counting down
 
It’s time to get back on the horse
Ride out to conquer the applause
 
Can’t stop the bleeding
The circus is leaving
For another town
Always competing
Never retreating
Eventually healing
Failure is fleeting
Patterns repeating
For the soldier and the clown

     “How You Know Things pt. I” is the more Atmospheric Rock than is “Sawdust.” And the backing vocals of Jade Marie Hasselgård play a larger role. The song does not include the standard instrumental intro, but does include an extended spoken-word segment during the second half (the lyrics are included in this post).
 
     The materials released with “How You Know Things pt. I” state:
   “[The] track leans more clearly than before into the band’s long-standing dream-pop influences — soaring, melodic, and atmospheric - and perhaps a tad in a more uplifting territory than the band has previously operated. The lyrics nod to Hemingway, while music nerds will certainly approve of the bouncy 7/4-groove in the bridge.”
 
     “How You Know Things pt. I” by Sleep Kicks

Lyrics of “How You Know Things” by Sleep Kicks
Clearly, I miss him
But since you put it in that way
Why not leave them to it?
 
She was silent and asked for nothing
“There is no chance,” she said
And left without a smile
Without a smile
 
I believe that it must be
I will sleep as they would sleep
 
Met him in the doorway
Must have been a Tuesday night
Oh, those awkward moments
 
They're gone in just ten seconds
Couldn't look him in the eyes
But I think I saw a smile
I saw a smile
I saw a smile
 
I believe that it must be
I will sleep as they would sleep
 
Were you expecting someone
To show up at your door?
How you know things will be
Exactly how they were before
 
Did you expect the feeling
to fade out silently?
How you know things will be
Exactly like they used to be
 
Were you at some point thinking
There's nothing left to do?
How you know things will be
Precisely like you'd want them to
 
Was this the first incentive
To grow a thicker skin?
How you know things will be
The same as they have always been
 
I believe that it must be
I will sleep as they would sleep