Blind Pilot and the Tiny Desk series both launched in the same year, 2008, so it's hard to comprehend how the two hadn't converged until now: The band's shimmery folk-pop sound, with its vibraphone and overarching vibrancy, is perfectly suited to the space behind Bob Boilen's desk.
Fortunately, that sound has bloomed considerably since Blind Pilot's beginnings, coinciding with the group's expansion from a duo to a sextet. It's certainly expansive enough to fill the air in this graceful performance of four songs from And Then Like Lions, on which singer Israel Nebeker issues a series of elegant, thoughtful reflections on how we interact with the past. The album's arrangements are incredibly rich, but they're also a perfect match for the organic, sonically uncluttered setting the Tiny Desk was designed to provide.
And Then Like Lions is available now (iTunes) (Amazon).
Set List
Credits
Producers: Stephen Thompson, Niki Walker; Audio Engineer: Neil Tevault; Videographers: Niki Walker, Morgan McCloy, Nicole Boliaux; Production Assistant: Jenny Gathright; Photo: Claire Harbage/NPR.
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