I can’t discuss indie rockers Of Us Giants without bringing up their first release, the EP “Stitch.”
“Stitch” (2013, Quote Your Pulse Records) is in constant rotation in my music library. It is, in my opinion, a perfect album.
It’s not over-produced. It’s raw. And most importantly, every song is amazing. It’s on the list of albums I'd take with me to a deserted island.
Having said that, I was a bit apprehensive to give Of Us Giants' new release, “Nova Scotia,” a listen.
I knew it would be a good album, but I wondered how it could come close to the beloved “Stitch” EP. All too often a band releases a great album only to follow it up with a pile of garbage.
I’m happy to say this wasn’t the case with “Nova Scotia.” The boys pulled it off. Two brilliant releases in a row!
Of Us Giants is a three-piece Indie Rock band hailing from California’s Central Valley. Dustin Andrews of Livingston (vocals / guitar) met Turlock native Jonathan Jennings (bass / vocals) when they worked together at a Los Banos movie theater. The two have played music together since 2010, when they played in the band “Creature Colony.”
Of Us Giants formed in February, 2012. Turlocker Sam Battista was added on drums in January to complete the trio.
Lindsey Pavao of Manteca, a semifinalist on Season 2 of NBC’s singing show “The Voice”, lends her beautiful voice to two tracks – “Iron Boat” and “Nova Scotia.” The band met Pavao at a music festival earlier this year where they handed her the “Stitch” EP.
“We received a Facebook message from her a few weeks later telling us she really liked it!” Jennings told me. “We ended up inviting her to the studio since we were in the middle of our album. The rest is history. She is one of the most down-to-earth people we have ever met, and amazingly talented on top of that”
“Nova Scotia” has range, from the heavy guitar riffs and gnashing lyrics on “Liar” to the melodic harmonizing between Andrews and Pavao on “Nova Scotia” which gets in your bones. I found myself singing the chorus all day after hearing it.
It elicits emotion from every range of the spectrum. Anyone falling into or out of love can relate to this album.
“Around The Furline” and “A Beam Offshore” both start off with a lurking tempo that draws you in for a closer listen only to speed up, conjuring your foot to ease into that gas pedal a little deeper. This album will most certainly be played at maximum volume on my next drive up Highway 1.
I asked Jennings how the band felt about completing their first full-length album. This is what he had to say.
“We are so very excited to share this album with everybody, as we have put our all into making it and are very proud of the results. Having the opportunity of working with several different record labels in as faraway places as England is certainly a dream come true. We are very excited about the reception so far and look forward to a U.S. tour in February and March to push the record further.”
I highly recommend downloading the single “Nova Scotia” at the band's webpage http://ofusgiants.bandcamp.com. The full album will be released in January.
The EP “Stitch” is now also available as a free download at http://ofusgiants.bandcamp.com/.
