Fresh Baked:
The Secret Life of Sofia
Seven Summits
2008 | self-released
B

It is rare when I find myself without a real opinion about something. The Secret Life of Sofia is one of those rare occasions. There is nothing in Seven Summits that offends my sensibilities, or puts me off in any way. However, there are also no moments of awe, no songs I keep coming back to, or even many surprises to find here.

I don’t mean to imply this is banal, Top-40 music either – this is an intricately crafted record performed by talented musicians. Certain tracks, like my personal favorite “Government Lakes,” have interesting melodies, clever guitar work and sterling production – for the four minutes or so of each song, the results are pleasant. The longest track on the record, “Sheet Stealer!” is unique in its mid-song tempo and mood shift – otherwise many of these tunes set their mood and execute it ably.

The record does manage to get more interesting as it progresses, with “Sheet Stealer!” and “Weathering” making a really nice mid-album pairing – “Weathering” features a nice, droning analog synthesizer throughout that pushes the typical Sofia sound further than elsewhere on the record. “Evidence” too shines through as a real slow-burner that builds evenly to an emotionally satisfying ending. On a whole, I would have liked some judicious editing on some of the introductions and endings of various tracks that tend to meander for longer than necessary.

However, the aftertaste is non-existent. The aforementioned “Government Lakes” is the only track of the eleven featured here that I have thought back on with any sort of enthusiasm – its opening melody is catchy enough to get stuck in my head – sometimes for hours on end. This is not a good thing, nor is it necessarily a bad thing, but in the case of this record it is a singular thing – a singular memorable moment.

by Brian Salvatore

myspace.com/thesecretlifeofsofia

[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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