Kid Tiger: The Latest Release from Daniel Ellsworth and The Great Lakes

Chicago – After the critical success of Civilized Man, the Nashville band Daniel Ellsworth and The Great Lakes are back with an exceptional and dynamic sophomore album. Kid Tiger is filled with playful piano scores, stellar drumming, fantastic guitar riffs, and of course, Ellsworth’s exquisite and powerful voice. The indie-pop album was tracked live and co-produced and engineered by Vance Powell; demonstrating just how skilled and energetic the band’s live performances are. The entire album is filled so much gusto, evoking a euphoric dance party. Kid Tiger solidifies Esquire Magazine‘s ranking of DE&TGL as one of the “15 Bands to Watch in 2014.”

“Waves” starts the album out with sensual piano, slowly building up, as drums fill it out until Ellsworth passionately sings, “Darling don’t go. I can’t stay. I’m sorry.” The song continues to build up, wildly exploding with emotion; a brave choice to start with, as it is the longest track of the twelve. “Phantoms” is the third track, and perhaps the catchiest of the bunch, yet maybe the darkest with its lyrics. The fourth track, “Fits and Starts,” is one of the strongest songs on Kid Tiger. Joel Wren’s drumming pulls you in and Ellsworth’s voice grabs you, begging you: “Tell me what you want honey, tell me what you want me to say.” The keys break in louder and louder. The tempo changes beckon you to keep up and move your body along to this remarkable song. The dance track “Tourniquet” is beat heavy, abounding with guitar, and more electronic than the rest, with its wispy air of 80s rock.

The sixth track is “Sun Goes Out,” the first single off the album. There is an air about this song that resembles a Kings of Leon song; especially when Timon Lance flawlessly comes in with his guitar. It’s a lovely synth-pop song that will have you moving your feet and singing, “When the sun goes out, I won’t mind.”

“Ready/Set” is filled with spectacular lyrics. Daniel sings, “My heart is a loaded gun and it’s pointed straight at you.” At times, Daniel’s voice sounds remarkably like Jack White’s. The song builds up fast, but halfway through it shockingly slows. A heavy beat kicks in, and the song builds up all over again, completely rocking out at the end.

“Echoes” starts to slow the album down a bit, perfectly setting the stage for “Little Light,” which starts outs with a funky melody, reminiscent of the Vaudeville era, breaking into what can be described as a Pink Floyd psychedelic inspired rift. You eventually end up where you started, with some amazing keying to close it out. The album ends with “Backfire!” This song sums up the entire album: the marvelous lyrics, beautiful guitar work, outstanding drumming, and the range of Ellsworth’s voice each work so well together, simply making this something you can’t run away from.

Daniel Ellsworth and The Great Lakes are definitely a band to watch in 2014. Kid Tiger will undoubtedly be on many critic’s lists as one of the top indie records of 2014!

Kid Tiger releases on March 4^th through Deer Head Music.

Daniel Ellsworth and The Great Lakes will be performing at SXSW and touring throughout the Midwest during March.

(Photo credit: Beth Mathews)

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Sarah Hess

At the age of six, Sarah Hess discovered True Blue by Madonna. This resulted in her spending hours in front of the bathroom mirror with a hairbrush microphone, belting out "La Isla Bonita" off key. Her love for music only intensified over the years thanks to her parents; her mother exposed Sarah to The Jackson Five and had her hustling to the Bee Gees, while her father would play her albums like 'Pet Sounds' and 'Some Girls' from start to finish, during which he'd lecture on and on about the history of rock & roll. Sarah would eventually stumble upon rap and hip-hop, then punk and alternative, and fall madly in love with Jeff Buckley and film photography.

After attending The School of the Art Institute in Chicago, Sarah went on to study education at Dominican University, earning a degree in history. When not teaching, writing, or taking in a show, she is most likely to be found with a camera to her eye or hanging out in a darkroom.

You can follow Sarah Hess on twitter at @Sarahhasanh and view her music photography on her website: smhimaging.com.