[The Secret Life of Sofia is the August Jezebel Music NYC Monthly Feature Artist. The August Feature Show is at Union Pool on Thursday, August 21.]

Depending on your cup of tea, upon first listen to The Secret Life of Sofia your breath may not be taken away. There are no axes being shred, kooky voices wailing, or wild, off-time beats. Everything is wrapped rather tightly, polished with the modestly implemented but substantial ability of the band’s members; the operation runs so smoothly that you might not be able to perceive the abundance of musical talent each possesses. After one performance, unenthused by the band’s “mellow, harmless hippie sounds,” one reviewer went so far as to call TSLOS flat out “uncool.” A more narrow-sighted, naïve view of The Secret Life of Sofia could not exist. Mellow; yes…although certainly not all the time. Harmless; certainly not.

Photo by Josh Goleman

Although the roots of the majority of TSLOS songs are based on guitar chord arrangements, Seven Summits, the band’s first full-length release, is by no means the simple fleshing out of a singer/songwriter’s compositions. Without the well thought out arrangements and intricate instrumental accompaniment, lead singer and principal songwriter Kyle Wilson’s exceptionally well written songs would be seen in a much different light.

Largely responsible for the band’s sonic texture is Eric Schwortz on electric guitar, backing vocals, keyboard and percussion, and drummer/glockenspielist Steven Leventhal. Rounding out the live roster are two newer additions to the band, Fraser McCullouch (who engineered/produced Seven Summits) on bass guitar, and Chris Brazee on keyboards, both of whom were members of the recently defunct May 2007 Jezebel Music NYC Feature Artist, Mistakes. Save for Wilson, who rotates between acoustic and electric guitars, and Leventhal, who keeps behind the kit holding ground, Schwortz, McCullouch and Brazee frequently switch between instruments from song to song meticulously providing appropriate sounds. One of the band’s signature devices is a background element provided by a wash of reverb and delay on electric guitars and keyboard, most notably used on “Fifty Fourteeners” and “Sheet Stealer!,” that creates a soft, shining wall floating above rolling vocals melodies and sauntering percussion. Above it all are lush two, three, and even four part harmonies, showcased most notably in “Outside.”
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