Call Hawk and Dove psychedelic country or alt-country, but neither really fit the bill for this band, which really defy labels. The band is comprised of Elijah Miller (Lead vocals, guitar) John Kleberg (guitar, banjo vocals); Stephanie Sanders (bass, keys, vocals) Rachel Lyon (violin, mandolin, vocals) David Butler (drums).
They charge into our lives with the too short EP Rocking Chair, which is a great introduction, a kind of “Hi, here we are, gotta go,” kind of thing that makes you want to grab hold of someone’s collar so that they’ll stay awhile and play some more.
Of the four tracks that comprise Rocking Chair, three are studio and the last track Muscle Breaks is live. The EP is a mere 18 minutes long, but these are 18 minutes that you won’t mind giving to the band. Frontman, Elijah Miller has a voice that’s somewhere between Jeff Tweedy and Bon Iver, and in my book that’s a very good thing.
The EP opens with Furious Armies a guitar heavy track with a distinctly emo vocal. The guitars detract from Elijah’s voice, which is really wasted on a song that really tries to rock. Elijah’s voice is much better suited to slower numbers. When he sings the slow folksy Stain and Boy On The Moon, you hear what perfection sounds like. Boy On The Moon is particularly gorgeous, a lullaby that’s practically whispered, with the guitars and drums playing just as quietly for the first part of the song until it builds to a plaintive wail at the end.
Though of all the songs it’s Stain that really sticks out. It deals with people and relationships and the extremes that they sometimes go through to keep them. I really like the visual of a relationship leaving a lasting mark on someone, a stain.
What I find absolutely amazing is that Muscle Breaks, sounds so perfect and yet it was recorded at a gig in New Hampshire. There’s nothing there to denote a live audience; no screaming fans, no talking before or after the song. Rachel Lyon’s violin really gives life to this song. I particularly love how it has an old fashioned, almost vaudeville sound to it.
Rocking Chair is a great introduction to this New York City band. The songs are smart, often crossing the line to intellectual, but always listenable. This EP is the first taste of Hawk & Dove, it’s a good thing that they are working on a full length album as well as a rock opera, so they have no plans of going anywhere any time soon, and that’s a good thing, because after listening to Rocking Chair, I definitely long to hear more from this band.
Reviewed By Andrea Guy
