Ola Podrida : Belly of the Lion

<img src="http://www.qromag.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/olapodridabellyofthelion.jpg" alt=" " />David Wingo's strum builds into emotional power on his second release as Ola Podrida. ...
8.0 Western Vinyl
2009 

Ola Podrida : Belly of the Lion

Since David Wingo started in the sad alt-country/folk singer/songwriter game as Ola Podrida, the genre’s exploded, nowhere more so than in the Texas native’s current residence of Brooklyn.  The soft, sweet tones of 2007’s self-titled release (QRO review) have, by now, been heard on a million-and-one other new records.  So how does Wingo continue to stand out on his follow-up, Belly of the Lion?  By following Ola Podrida‘s most promising vein, building his strum into real emotional power.

If sometimes Ola Podrida was too soft & sweet, there were also pieces like "Cindy", where that base was built upon for stronger results.  Wingo seems to have taken that as his starting off point on Belly, growing from a strum into heft on tracks like "Donkey", "Lakes of Wine", and "Roomful of Sparrows", even reaching into real rock in the final piece.  However, it’s all best done on "Your Father’s Basement", thanks to the young teen storytelling which both rings true and yet isn’t something you’ve heard told much before.

The grace that pervades Belly of the Lion can still bring about maybe too much softness, even when expanding.  But as Ola Podrida, David Wingo has squared the circle of how to do alt-country/folk today and still be special.

MP3 Stream: "Your Father’s Basement"

{audio}/mp3/files/Ola Podrida – Your Fathers Basement.mp3{/audio}

 

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