Savio - Cycle A (EP)

Album Title: Cycle A EP
Album Artist: Savio

Track Listing:
1. Nothing I Can Do (4:19)
2. Oceans Moving (4:16)
3. Full Of You (4:45)
4. Without You (5:18)

Savio is a four-piece group, made up of:
Jeremy Griffith: vocals/guitars/producer/mixer (Wow!)
Jimmy Reeves
Jared Bowser: drums/samples (Also drums for the band SUNBEARS! They're great too.)
Mace Powell

Review:

Savio is all about dynamics, atmosphere, soaring vocals, and top-notch song writing. All of this shines on their four-song EP, Cycle A, which features songs from their full length album Denying The Constants. It will be released (hopefully soon) exclusively on iTunes. No date has been set yet.

The EP eases into the first track, "Nothing I Can Do," which finds a man lamenting a somewhat broken relationship. The hopelessly catchy and emotional chorus drives on with the words, "Nothing I can do will make it right... Nothing I can do will make one night last forever." Not the happiest words, but man, is that music savory. Savory Savio (Pun pun pun). Great song.

The next track, "Oceans Moving," has a darker sound to it than the other songs, but crashes into a stadium-rock ready, group vocal chorus toward the end. This song's chrous contains some interesting imagery: "I can feel the sunlight burning my eyes/I can hear the leaves as they fall to the ground/I can see the oceans moving/And I don't move at all" Jeremy really exhibits his poweful vocals (as always!) on this track.

"Full Of You" is full of dynamics, and has some interesting elements--a sample of a radio transmission, some ambient feedback/distortion in the prechorus, and yet another soaring vocal line, crescendoing into an amazing ending... Needless to say, even though it's not the most memorable song ever, it's definitely a great song, and Savio delivers.

"Without You," the final track of Cycle A, is probably my favorite song on the EP. It starts out with a very minimal sound--Jeremy's vocals, a piano, and some light ambient sound, all sounding as if they're through a lo-fi filter. The drums then come in, and the song pounds beautifully along. Then, everything drops out but some group vocals and a piano. Two or three measures--then the song explodes. Jeremy's vocals soar into the forefront as he powerfully exclaims, "Without you, it's not home!" The song then quiets and fades. Amazing, amazing song.

I can't recommend these guys enough. Heartfelt, emotional rock with atmospheric and ambient leanings. Listen to 'em now, so you can know 'em before everyone else learns about them. And then share the music. Music this good can't be kept to oneself.

You can purchase Cycle A from iTunes, eMusic, or Napster,
OR you can order a physical copy of Savio's Cycle A EP by sending four dollars to:

16 Manhattan Ave, Apt 3G, Brooklyn, NY 11206

Links:
Savio on MySpace.
(There are two additional songs from Denying The Constants on there, too.)

Deas Vail - All The Houses Look The Same

Hey guys.

Sorry it's been so long... Just a quick recommendation this time around.

Two words: DEAS VAIL.

I don't remember what language their name is in, but it roughly translates to "Humble Servant."

Amazing music. Wes Blaylock (their lead vocalist) has an enormous range.

Check 'em out.
www.myspace.com/deasvail

Just listenin' to their full-length (All The Houses Look The Same) in its entirety for the first time myself. Not a bad song on here from what my ears can tell. Amazing.

"Shoreline" is now in the music player.