Ten Toes Up
Sleeping Lion
(independent)
Murrells Inlet-based rock quartet Ten Toes Up’s second full-length album Sleeping Lion is a 12-track collection of sometimes mellow, sometimes high-octane jam rock infused with primal congas and down-home lap steel arrangements.
Recorded at Sea Note Recording in Myrtle Beach, the collection shifts straight into fourth gear with the pedal-to-the-metal opener “I Know You’re Coming With Me,” but doesn’t quite maintain the energy level as it cruises along. Things pick up midway through with the hard-hitting percussion and Southern-fried guitar riffs of “Twenty-One.”
The last five tracks touch as many styles with the bluesy “Emma Be Patient” and back-to-back groove oriented jams “Just a Woman” and “Make You Happy.” The second-to-last track, “Carolina Mess,” is an acoustic ballad that features some really nice key work that Sir Elton John would be proud of (it’s reminiscent of “Tiny Dancer” in some regards). The album closes just as it begins with a high-energy track, “Struggles,” which draws out rockabilly influence not found on the preceding 11 songs.
Overall, Sleeping Lion is a diverse mix of rock styles, drawing a bit from vintage Southern rock and modern alternative. The band’s talents are evident, but the new album could be more cohesive. (tentoesup.com)
Ten Toes Up performs at Awendaw Green’s Barn Jam on Wed. Dec. 15 and at the Pour House on Tues. Dec. 21.
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