The Life and Times

Written by laura hamlett

Since The Life and Times formed—oh, roughly 1,825 days ago—and began disarming audiences and critics with unbelievably loud yet relentlessly beautiful music, the main constant for the band has been how uncategorizable they’ve remained. Sure, they’re a “rock band,” but one that skirts the boundaries of this word in each song, tipping their collective cap to the giants that loom in each melody. Yes, they're still moody, spacey, sonically overwhelming, symphonic and always grandiose. But threading these traits together is the same obsessive attention to detail from singer Allen Epley, drummer Chris Metcalf and bassist Eric Abert that was the calling card of Suburban Hymns (DeSoto) and each subsequent release. The music made for their second full-length release, Tragic Boogie (Arena Rock), reflects a process that's even more detail-obsessed than earlier efforts. Tragic Boogie, like the best albums made with unending attention to detail and looking to scale grand heights, never gets bogged down by the frippery. What really hits the listener is 12 foundation-changing rock songs that have been woven together with love and that slippery agent, time.

Kansas City, Mo. :: indie rock
09.18, Cicero’s, 8:30 p.m.