Low Flying Owls

Editor's Review:

From the sharp feedback and aggressive, fuzzy bass line that ushers in the opening track of Elixir Vitaé, it’s apparent that the Low Flying Owls are poised to infiltrate the American music scene. On this, their national debut and first for New York City-based indie label Stinky Records, the Owls, a four-piece from Sacramento, show that they have the potential to attract audiences nationwide.
Elixir Vitaé is well-constructed with calculated peaks and valleys. The album kicks off with three hypnotic rockers — the intoxicating mantra of “Glad To Be Alive,” the quirky narrative and cocky swagger of “Swingin’ Sam” and the infectiously pop-y “Looks of a Killer” — before settling into the whispier melodies of “Strange Connection” and the psychedelic instrumental “Babies Made.” No matter the pace or tone, the music has a dizzying effect, which plays well with frontman Jared Southard’s surreal lyrical sensibility and opium-laced vocal delivery. Horns and keys punctuate trippy flourishes and provide swirls of color to the band’s musical excursions, but the meat of this album is the loosely layered guitar work of Southard and Andy Wagner and the stout, but not overly rigid, rhythmic backbone provided by bassist Mike Bruce and drummer Sam Coe, whose work keeps the songs firmly rooted while still giving them plenty of room to breathe.
Perhaps what makes these songs so potent is their attitude — Low Flying Owls chew up their Brit rock influences and spit them out with a whimsical sneer and a slick, cosmopolitan allure. Though their sound isn’t particularly groundbreaking, the Owls’ stamp is unmistakable.
– James Barone
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Record Label Stinky Records Released August 2003

Tracks Glad To Be Alive Swingin’ Sam Looks of a Killer Strange Connection Babies Made What My Friends Say Beaches of Tomorrow Georgie Shot Johnnie Mama Said The Last Day On the Planet