iSound

After coming off the road in mid-2005, following months of touring in support of their Triple Crown debut, Lafcadio, Long Island-based band As Tall As Lions – vocalist/guitarist Daniel Nigro, guitarist Saen Fitzgerald, bassist Julio Tavarez and drummer Cliff Sarcona – spent more than half a year channeling their energies into crafting an album that would not only realize the lofty ambitions of these four young men but define them as a band, once and for all. The resulting self-titled album, released Sept. 26 on Triple Crown/East West, provides dramatic evidence that they met this self-imposed challenge, and then some.

As Tall As Lions’ journey toward maturation began in casual fashion, the original version of the band forming around Fitzgerald while the members were still in high school. During the next few years, they endured the lineup changes and artistic roadblocks many young bands experience before taking their present, permanent form. But they still had some growin...