Boombox Blitz: Owls & Lions urge you to ‘Take the High Road’ in new animated visual

Welcome to Boombox Blitz, an artist spotlight series showcasing overlooked singers, songwriters and musicians who are quietly taking over the world.

In truth, we’re all under hypnosis – or at least it feels that way. A constant skull-pounding flood of “fake news,” weirdly aggressive, totally juvenile tweets, and venomous, bait-consuming minions can drain you completely. It’s frustrating when you’re just trying to survive yourself, the flood waters strangling your neck with no more room to gasp for air. New Jersey folk movers and shakers Owls & Lions confess their every boiling emotion on the striking “Take the High Road,” paired with a gripping animated visual. “I hear you / I’m listening / I’m trying to get back to giving / You all my attention / I can’t I’m stuck in the tension,” sings frontman and songwriter Jay Della Valle.

His lamentations glide in heart-rending cries into the night sky. He continues, “It’s time we make a decision / Who’s right / Who’s gonna give in / I’m innocent, singin’ my songs / You’re a victim / You never do wrong.” The melody gurgles along with a precise rhythm, a methodical entry to swallow you whole – yet it gives you unimaginable peace. “Don’t take the bait / Baby, take the high road / ‘Cause you know the low road / Won’t get you where you want to go,” the hook grabs and sinks into the chest. Alongside bandmates Nicole DeLoi, Kevin Walters and Hanan Rubinstein, Della Valle’s voice beckons you to the threshold of logic – and you’re prompted to make a final choice.

Even in such a languid production, there is an urgency that rises to the surface. “Sometimes it takes / Just a little patience . That’s better than frustration / How’s that for free education?,” Della Valle provokes and stokes the fire. He’s fanning the flames, but it is with the utmost concern and compassion. The music video, directed by Nathan Morrow, sees our two protagonists seek out nature for the answers, a medication to soothe their mental ailments, and they eventually come to the kind of enlightenment we all so desperately need. In the song’s back-half, a spooky rattle weaves into the harmony work and a platoon of goosebumps clomp right up the backbone.

“Take the High Road” is an essential cut from the band’s latest EP, There’s a Light.

Watch below:

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