Tall Tales and the Silver Lining

The new release from Ventura’s Tall Tales and the Silver Lining, Spring Singles, offers myriad influences in just three songs, resulting in a collection that’s difficult to place but well worthy of a listen. An electric bass beat introduces “Good Times,” but then merges into a layer of guitars: an echoing, airy backdrop, beachy rock ‘n’ roll chords, and pentatonic riffs. Frontman Trevor-Beld Jimenez’s bar-crooner voice evokes comparisons to My Morning Jacket and Band of Horses, but combined with a windows-down, West Coast road-trip vibe. But just as the band establishes its sound, we’re given “Phantom Beard,” which takes on an old Tennessee-meets-Grand Ole Opry brand of country, complete with steel guitar, a walking bass line, and rhythmic banjo. The vocals begin with an unobtrusive directness: “Well I love my woman, the way she dances,” Beld Jimenez sings. This nod to the past is an indication of a promising future for Tall Tales and the Silver Lining, a band that’s able to both recycle and reinvent its musical predecessors.

To check out Tall Tales music, visit talltalesandthesilverlining.bandcamp.com.