Domestic Bliss
Imagine a cozy blanket wrapped around you, the warm glow of a fire and a circle of welcoming friends and family. Alohas radiant new EP, Light Works, conjures all the sweet contentment of home: its a sentiment that isnt terribly surprising coming from a quartet whose name is the Hawaiian word for love, as well as hello and good-bye. Aloha has always made its nest in the realm of elegantly complex experimental rock; but unlike past records, which emphasized a more angular, electric approach, Light Works finds Aloha fully immersed in tranquil acoustic-guitar-based excursions.
I wanted to have this dreamy, comforting, reflective moment, says Alohas lead singer, Tony Cavallario (who also plays guitar and keyboards). Prompted by a group of zealous Boise fans at Alohas Portland, Ore. show, the quartets en route to Idaho for a last-minute addition to its month-long tour in support of the disc: an all-ages show at a fallout shelter–turned-performance space. When not on tour, Cavallario rests his head in Rochester, N.Y., and he thoroughly enjoys the pleasures of his home there.
This is a really domestic phase of my life, he says. I ended up recording a lot of the lyrics [for Light Works] after I found out my wife was pregnant.
On Body Buzz, the EPs opening track, Cavallario sings Ive been waiting for you/Our house full of laughter/Our love will live forever with a soothing earnestness that resonates with pure sincerity. Cavallario says when he wrote this song, he was thinking about some of his closest friends, considering what they needed from him and whether he was offering all he could. He concluded that he wanted to be a sort of beacon for them and present domesticity as a source of solace.
You want them to see your life and see that it is possible to be happy And its not just a farce, he explains. Over the past 10 years, Aloha has steadily built a loyal fan base through its intricate, expansive post-rock and passionate, improvised live performances. Though the group has its roots in Cleveland, Ohio, the members are now scattered across the northern United States with multi-instrumentalist T.J. Lipple and new addition Nick Anderson (Alohas touring bassist while Matthew Gengler works on a library-science degree in Cleveland), in Washington, D.C., and percussionist and keyboardist Cale Parks (who recently joined the White Williams fold) living in Brooklyn.
The idea for Light Works came when Aloha was headed into the studio to record a single for an upcoming full-length due out this fall. Cavallario says the group instead decided to take several acoustic-based songs that wouldnt fit in with the more exuberant, more rock n roll material and release an EP. Cavallario admits it represents a bit of a departure for Aloha, although the band always has incorporated softer, balladic songs into its repertoire. But it was more important to them to follow their initial instinct than adhere to certain expectations. You stop doing things for the hell of it, he says, explaining that bands often get caught in a cycle of recording and releasing a full-length album and then touring, ad infinitum. We wanted to make something and we know people will like it because we believe in it.
April 3, Mercury Lounge, 217 E. Houston St. (at Ave. A), 212-260-4700; 7, $10/$12.