The Lennings: “Valentin”
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
The five lovely fellas that make up Austin’s The Lennings are craftsmen. They’ve created a band who’s delicate mix of folk and pop is as maleable as it is beautiful. Whether they’re playing loud or soft, with one person or the whole quintet, The Lennings have the uncanny ability to shift and transform without skipping the proverbial beat.
The Lennings are singer and songwriter Jason Silverberg, guitarist Cory Morgan, drummer Karl Lundin, bassist Ross Carnes and Zach Herigodt who brings the funk on banjo and mandolin. They have two records under their belt so far (the 2007 full-length Big Beige Car and the 2009 EP Geographic Tongue). If you’re a fan of the NBC show “Parenthood“, you might have heard The Lenning’s very touching, acoustic rendition of the immortal “You’re The One That I Want” (To answer your question–yes, from the Grease soundtrack). On Saturday, the MTV show “Underemployed” will feature The Lenning’s tune “B-12.” That song comes from The Lennings brand-spanking-new album Inside (told you we’d get there). But before the show airs, this Friday you’ll get a chance to sample some of the tunes at The Lennings’ record release show at Stubb’s.
Today we just happen to have Inside‘s lead track for you. “Valentin” has long been a Lennings live favorite, and it kicks the record off with a bang. There’s an old (yet still very true) musical trope that says the best artists and bands are the ones that know when not to play. That’s very true with “Valentin.” The song is a slow burn. There’s a dark-cloud moodiness to the verses that’s tempered by the heady release of the choruses. There’s drama in Silverberg’s words as he breathes his vocals, and the band drives the song with the quiet intensity of delicate craftsmen.
Podcast: Download (5.8MB)
