LEAGUES w/Nikki Lane: at The Mercy Lounge (Nashville, TN) Fri. February 1, 2013

LEAGUES w/Nikki Lane

Pop/Rock

Nashville Scene Critic's Pick …

This is an ascendant moment for music that’s made to be experienced in a crowd, music that targets the emotions and/or the body more than the mind. Stylistically, a lot of it leans toward either dubstep or folkstomp, but in the case of Leagues, there’s a more classic model in play: ardent, swelling, post-U2 melodic rock, propelled by a springy, danceable pulse. Lead singer and songwriter Thad Cockrell tends to have philosophical grounding for the musical projects he pursues, be they finely wrought alt-country, sophisticated roots-pop gospel or something else besides. The band he’s sidelined his solo career for — an egalitarian trio rounded out by drummer Jeremy Lutito and guitarist Tyler Burkum — champions a belief in the noble, unifying qualities of well-crafted pop music. These guys named their debut album You Belong Here, and you can bet they mean it as a universal statement.

—JEWLY HIGHT