When Other Lives took to the stage at Velvet Jones last month, we knew we’d stumbled upon something great. In concert, the Oklahomans create rich, layered folk numbers that are at once dust covered and grandiose. And on record, they manage to capture that tension with near-perfect precision. The dark feel that runs throughout Tamer Animals can largely be chalked up to frontman Jesse Tabish, whose deep, steady deliveries are at times downright chill-inducing. Structurally, Animals relies on its string section (guitar, bass, cello, violin) to connect the dots between waltzes (“Woodwind Loop”), folksy jams (“Dust Bowl III”), and sweeping rockers (“For 12”), which works largely in the band’s favor. There may not be any standout singles on Animals, but there’s also no filler, making for an album that’s moody, melodic, and startling from start to finish. Other Lives play SOhO on Tuesday, July 5, at 8 p.m. Visit clubmercy.com for tickets.

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