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Kevin Calaba, Jason Bell, and Daniel Orvik, collectively known as Stars of Track and Field, return with an album that transcends the trio’s previous efforts.  A TIME FOR LIONS shows a more mature band, one that has evolved, bringing aggressive tempo and autonomous vision to their work.  The songs build upon the foundation they have created over the past several years of touring and recording, and are arguably the band’s best work to date. 

Stars of Track and Field began their journey in Portland, Oregon.  Calaba is no stranger to the public eye, having encountered the world of Hollywood at a young age when cast to appear in Mr. Holland’s Opus as a child.  He recalls, “It was my first thrilling experience in the entertainment industry, and I still get residuals.  Twelve bucks hit the mailbox yesterday.”  Bell, a former art school drop-out and Orvik, a gent who has never found a bet he doesn’t like, are simply characters.  On stage, assembled together, there is no shortage of personality within this band. 

The group’s first release You Came Here for Sunset Last Year (2005), delivered a firm foundation, and accolades from critics across the independent community.  The band’s Wind-up Records debut Centuries Before Love and War followed in 2006, and the trio spent the better part of two years touring the U.S.  They shared the stage with bands as diverse as Smashing Pumpkins to Jeremy Enigk and The Long Winters to Joseph Arthur and The Lonely Astronauts.  No matter who else was on the bill, Stars of Track and Field’s presence in venues small and large was memorable delivering a sizeable fan base.  In recollecting on the massive amount of touring the band endured through that endless run Bell reminisces, “Touring with all of these artists, it was clear there is so much more to music than the constrictive, trendy independent scene.    Cliques are silly, and great music is simply great music.  Who gives a fuck what kind of shoes you are wearing.”

When asked how they would describe the state of affairs for the band in front of A TIME FOR LIONS, each has individual, highly disparate feelings.  Orvik, shares the adjectives restless, excited, and curious.  This is partially due to the long period that has passed since the last release.  He shares, “I feel like an ant on the hill.  There are seven billion people on this rock and I see crazy shit happening all over the place.  I am grateful I get to create and share music with whoever cares to listen.  I hope this record positively influences their lives.”  Bell, always musically inclined, views the repertoire as raw, intimate and dreamy.  Each of these powerful words is a cornerstone of the band’s musical creations.  He comments, “I wanted this record to reach out and grab you like a Warhol print.  This album is a collection of songs, and the farthest thing from a concept album.  Each track is a mood unto itself, sometimes desolate sometimes stunning.  There are subtle nuances the listener will uncover with each and every subsequent listen. ”  Calaba’s thoughts cover a wider spectrum than his partners as he begins with agitation, then stating new landscapes and musically grounded, as elements that come to mind in consideration of the current being which is Stars of Track and Field.  He elaborates, “The album was born through a day to day artistic struggle between the three of us - lyrically, tonally, and musically.  Each confrontation led to either compromise or acceptance, which in turn led to the crystallization of a mature, colorful rock album.  True democracy never works.”

The band’s return after an extended absence wastes no time on A TIME FOR LIONS, with the passionate pleas that soar through the opening track “Racing Lights.”  The textured elements remain from the band’s earlier efforts, but are joined by an evolution of anthemic impulses.  Stars of Track and Field thrive within the exclusive club of contemporary artists who define the future of electro-pop.  The implied urgency continues with “End of all Time,” a song that can stand should-to-shoulder with the best of any Brit-Pop band.  “Now You Lift Your Eyes to the Sun” showcases Stars of Track and Field’s turn towards maturity in a sparser arrangement, and Calaba’s moody, dark vocal delivery.  These multi-instrumentalists have never shied away from beauty, and let’s hope they never do.  Their sense of feel never ceases from track one to the last note of the album, and peaks are no stranger to their creative genetic make-up as is especially seen in “In Bright Fire” and “The Breaking of Waves.”

On the new release, five of the eleven songs are self-produced by Stars of Track and Field.  While in pre-production, the trio opted to roll tape on a regular basis.  These natural, secluded moments yielded significant parts of the selections “End of All Time,” “Now You Lift Your Eyes To The Sun,” “Safety in Numbers,” “The Stranger,” and “Sunrise Ends.” Many of the compositions morphed as the band entered and exited various studios and deemed nothing too precious.  Lyrically, Calaba and Bell have turned inward, painting an introverted and focused portrait of their personal experiences.  Centuries Before Love and War took on grand themes, and this collection of songs speaks from a place of introspection. 

As the landscape vastly morphs for artists looking for a sustainable career, there will always be a place for bands like Stars of Track and Field.  The honest and breathy delivery this band naturally emits is simply one-of-a-kind.  The music is reminiscent of a time where a great song was simply a masterpiece – not overtly pigeonholed in to classifications.  A TIME FOR LIONS is overflowing with what is simply real – emotions taking flight through song.  Living, breathing creative compositions that are synonymous with what fans have come to expect from Stars of Track and Field.