The Secret Life Of Sophia @ Mercury Lounge - 21 October 2006

Did you go to Mercury Lounge on Saturday night to see Bound Stems? Or, maybe for Maritime? Not me. Let me ask you a question then...who did you end up being most impressed by, the band you were there to see or someone else? I'm curious because, to me, there was no question which band from that bill deserves the most blog-tention.

Look, I can't tell you the truth here without sounding like I have a big stalkery crush on The Secret Life Of Sofia, but the truth is they're one of my favorite current bands. Something about their music makes me feel like they know me really well. Like...hm...almost as if they've written this music just for me. There's nothing better than connecting with a band like that. Do you remember in Groundhog Day how Phil uses day after day to get to know Rita? Her likes, dislikes, what she studied in college...that she likes to say a prayer and drink to world peace, etc. Well, at this point, it wouldn't surprise me one bit to learn that The Secret Life Of Sofia had done the same thing to me, but in a musical sense. As if they went back in time and spent one day over and over learning what makes me tick as a lover of music. They figured out the perfect sound, instrumentation, emotional tone, lyrical content, and more, so that I'd have no option other than to enjoy their music.

The Secret Life Of Sofia's songs (both on record and live) are mellow yet explosive, desolate and gorgeous, perfectly crafted and calculated, and simply transcend the current New York City indie-rock club scene. I often worry about writing statements like that because it can't help but appear to be hyperbole but that's just not the case. Each time I catch one of their shows I find myself noticing and enjoying new things about the band and their music. This time I was a bit focused on how tight the rhythm section was and on the fact that Kyle's voice sounded superb and that Eric's work on guitar reminded me (at times) of Vini Reilly and Johnny Marr. How can I help but want to keep going back for more?

Visit The Secret Life Of Sofia on MySpace.