Second Lovers

If Rocks Off happened to be put on the spot, our choice for the best group to emerge on the Houston scene in the past couple of years would probably be Second Lovers. It might not even be close.
Reminiscent of a less booze-sodden Whiskeytown, the Lovers' 2012 debut Wishers, Dreamers & Liars was easily one of last year's best local releases, distinguished by crisp melodies and songwriting a cut or two (at least) above the standard twentysomething indie navel-gazing. The band followed in April with "New Mexico," a double-sided single that ups the electric-rock component without sacrificing any of their wistful Americana glow.

Second Lovers formed three or so years ago out of the remnants of Lunara, featuring Pasadena-area natives front man Nicholas Morales and bassist Matt Lopez. Their greatest accompishment thus far may have been maintaining forward momentum in the face of numerous lineup changes: their original drummer left to pursue an internship at U of H; violinist and singer Ashley Parker, who appears on Wishers, also departed.

Guitarist Thom Truver, originally from the Humble/Kingwood area, joined when the group was looking for a bass player, but Morales (already set on Lunara mate Lopez) suggested he pick up the guitar instead. Now drummer Bryan Hoff is about to move to keyboards thanks to a new baby, and The Manichean's Sean Spiller (who helped on the production of "New Mexico") will soon take over on bass.


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Despite all the personnel turmoil, though, Truver says the Lovers' transition from newcomers into established act - indeed, for our money Houston's best folk/Americana group since Buxton - has been relatively seamless, citing local benefactors like Magnolia Red and the Convoy Group.
"Once you introduce yourself and get affilliated with those people, it's been phenomenal what they've been able to help us with," he says.

The Lovers have assumed a busy pace that seems almost guaranteed to keep them on the upswing. Before they head back into the studio to record a quick acoustic EP (inspired by Austin singer-songwriter David Ramirez's The Rooster, Truver says) and begin work on another full-length album, Saturday at Fitz the Lovers will premeire their video for "New Mexico."

Directed by their friend/manager Tom Paynter, the clip finds the band peforming in the main hall of St. Arnold's Brewery north of downtown, conveniently splicing in plenty of footage of the picturesque brewery thanks to Paynter's job making promotional films for the popular local beverage-maker.

"I'm proud of it," Truver says of the video. "I think it's great because it just showcases someone in Houston who had an idea that they loved and [has] become an amazing company, a company that speaks volumes about Houston and what it's becoming. And what it is."

Truver is of course talking about St. Arnold's, the beer, but could just as easily be describing his own band. - Houston Press

...JOHN SEABORN GRAY: A tie between Benjamin Wesley's Think Thoughts and Second Lovers' Wishers, Dreamers & Liars. Think Thoughts is full of heart, smarts and insane creativity; nothing else sounds quite like it. Wishers, on the other hand is the quintessential good old-fashioned folk rock album. Perfect for the car ride home from the bar... - Houston Press

...JOHN SEABORN GRAY: A tie between Benjamin Wesley's Think Thoughts and Second Lovers' Wishers, Dreamers & Liars. Think Thoughts is full of heart, smarts and insane creativity; nothing else sounds quite like it. Wishers, on the other hand is the quintessential good old-fashioned folk rock album. Perfect for the car ride home from the bar... - Houston Press

Second Lovers, Wishers, Dreamers & Liars

These days, it’s getting hard to throw a rock in this city without hitting a roots-rock/indie-folk-country band, and while it’s true that a large number of ‘em are good, it can be tempting to get jaded and cynical each time a new one comes along. After listening (repeatedly) to Second Lovers’ debut full-length, Wishers, Dreamers & Liars, however, I sincerely hope that more-of-the-same familiarity doesn’t make people pass this band by, because that’d be a sad, stupid mistake.
I think a large part of why Wishers works so damn well, I have to say, comes down to singer/guitarist Nico Morales, who bitterly growls his way through song after song like he never cracks a smile (and going by the promo photos I’ve seen, that may actually be the case). The man’s got some major demons to deal with, it seems, and Wishers feels like his own way of taking them on. It helps, of course, that he’s got a surprisingly husky, rough-edged, road-worn voice for somebody so young. There’s a resemblance to icon Steve Earle, believe it or not, particularly on plaintive opening track “Whiskey Woman,” with its rumbling, train’s-a-comin’ rhythm and plaintive violin (or is that technically a fiddle, since it’s a roots-rock song? No clue…). There’s a cool, Son Volt-esque phrasing to the track, too, something that gives all of the album an easy, gentle swing.
I don’t mean to downplay the rest of the band, mind you. They’re all very, very talented musicians, the kind that know how to step back and play the part they need to play, rather than showboating, and it works wonderfully. In particular, violinist/singer Ashley Parker’s vocals serve as a great, great foil to Morales, particularly on “Take You Home,” which is sweet and warm and sees Parker and Morales trade vocals like a less-intense Finnegan.
The song almost swipes the lead-in melody from R.E.M.’s “Losing My Religion,” and really, that’s pretty apt, since this song reminds me less of contemporary roots-rock and more of homespun Athens college rock from the mid-’80s, back before anybody really gave much thought to giving that whole “alt-country” thing a name. It’s partly due to Parker’s somber, uninflected (yet beautiful) voice, which has kind of an everywoman quality to it and brings to mind Jenny Lewis or Rachel Warren of Palomar. I find myself wishing to be able to hear her violin more prominently, too, but honestly, if I did it’d probably be too much; as it stands, it’s great to be able to catch enough of it to love it and want more.
“Take You Home”‘s an anomaly, really, set in the midst of a set of solidly rootsy, folk-countryish tunes. There’s “Moonshine Hill,” jangly and rough-edged and melancholy, the kind of song that’s perfect for quiet nights alone at the bar and is one of the album’s absolute highlights, and “By The River,” which is a quiet and knocked-down bit of folk, just Nicolas Morales and his guitar in a threadbare, echoing room. “Gunslinger,” for its part, is full-on punkified country-rawk, blazing on past with blues-metal guitars carving a deep gouge out of a thundering, stampeding rhythm.
Throughout, there’s a downtrodden, end-of-the-affair vibe to the band’s sound, with only a few glimmers of happiness or devil-may-care hope peeking through, like in the jaunty, friendly “I’m Your Huckleberry” or in “Daydreamer,” which is insistent and honest and lovestruck, barreling through the night to be with somebody, consequences be damned. It’s right back to the downbeat side after, though, with “Coals & Pearls,” where Morales is seemingly admonishing his would-be lover not to visit his grave once he’s died and not to feel bad because he passed on waiting for them.
My favorite tracks, though, are two of the bleakest. First, there’s “Tired Man,” which is the sound of a man who’s given up, who’s gone past the point of no return and just wants to be done with the relationship. It’s haunting and beautiful and so full of exhausted, weary pain it practically bleeds out the speakers.
Then there’s “Last Call,” which is both the last song on the album and the end of a long-suffering (seven-year?) love, and which Morales likens to last call at a dingy bar. It’s the notice you get that it’s beyond time to be gone, and while that’s not a good thing for the album, it makes sense for the end of a relationship. The bitterness in Morales’s voice as he declares “All that was you / has become bad news” is made even more poignant by the feeling of resignation to it all.
Overall, Wishers, Dreamers & Liars is heartfelt and warm and intensely personal, but at the same time, it’s a breezy, unassuming listen, one that doesn’t intrude but instead sits back and lets you come ’round. The band’s members are well aware of what they can do, and they don’t give a damn about blowing the doors off unnecessarily. They know they’ve got you, either way. - Spacecityrock.com

Second Lovers are a folk band out of Houston, Texas. Formed in November of 2010, the present-day lineup includes Nicolas Morales (vocal and guitars), Matt Lopez (bass guitar), Henry Largo (drums), Ashley Parker (vocals and violin) and Thomas Truver.

Wishers, Dreamers & Liars is their brand-spanking new album, just released July 17th of this year. Describing their sound is easy. Beautiful violins are woven with acoustic guitars, to create this wonderful quilt of comforting folk music. They achieved a great balance on this album; creating beautiful ballads and complex upbeat rockabilly style tunes. Even the order the songs are played in on the album seems well thought out.

Nicolas Morales has a raspy, soulful voice that could feel right at home in a heavier rock band; but combined with Ashley Parker’s gentle vocals proves to be a winning combination. “I’m Your Huckleberry” is proof of said combination; their “take turn” approach to singing the song is charming and sweet.

That’s not to say Second Lovers is all about sugar and spice and everything nice. “Gunslinger” is the real attention grabber of the album; intense, fast Old Western inspired song. Definitely worth a second (and maybe even third and fourth) listen.

Overall Wishers, Dreamers & Liars is a very well put together album. The harmonies are terrific, and the album flows competently and keeps the listener not only engaged but entertained as well. Considering this is their first full release, it’s pretty impressive. Their first album was actually a four-song demo recorded in a house in the outskirts of Houston. If you are looking for a new favorite folk album, look no further. Wishers, Dreamers & Liars has everything you could need or want in a folk, Americana album.

Rating: 4.5/5 Stars! - Indie Music Reviewer

Second Lovers are a folk band out of Houston, Texas. Formed in November of 2010, the present-day lineup includes Nicolas Morales (vocal and guitars), Matt Lopez (bass guitar), Henry Largo (drums), Ashley Parker (vocals and violin) and Thomas Truver.

Wishers, Dreamers & Liars is their brand-spanking new album, just released July 17th of this year. Describing their sound is easy. Beautiful violins are woven with acoustic guitars, to create this wonderful quilt of comforting folk music. They achieved a great balance on this album; creating beautiful ballads and complex upbeat rockabilly style tunes. Even the order the songs are played in on the album seems well thought out.

Nicolas Morales has a raspy, soulful voice that could feel right at home in a heavier rock band; but combined with Ashley Parker’s gentle vocals proves to be a winning combination. “I’m Your Huckleberry” is proof of said combination; their “take turn” approach to singing the song is charming and sweet.

That’s not to say Second Lovers is all about sugar and spice and everything nice. “Gunslinger” is the real attention grabber of the album; intense, fast Old Western inspired song. Definitely worth a second (and maybe even third and fourth) listen.

Overall Wishers, Dreamers & Liars is a very well put together album. The harmonies are terrific, and the album flows competently and keeps the listener not only engaged but entertained as well. Considering this is their first full release, it’s pretty impressive. Their first album was actually a four-song demo recorded in a house in the outskirts of Houston. If you are looking for a new favorite folk album, look no further. Wishers, Dreamers & Liars has everything you could need or want in a folk, Americana album.

Rating: 4.5/5 Stars! - Indie Music Reviewer

Second Lovers self-describes as “folk-rock/indie” but given the current state of “indie” (fawning, overwrought, forced) they ought to withdraw their alliance. “Wishers” is a beautifully crafted album that has the real potential of remaining timeless, far more than anything that gets the label “indie”, nowadays.

To enter the tranquil, Americana-laden beauty of Second Lover’s debut I’d have to direct listeners to song “By the River”. Nic Morales croons eloquently, with just a dash of Kurt Cobain gravel in his voice, about some past regret that he doesn’t fully reveal. You know it’s something heartrending, something really sad because even without all the details, the pathos is still there. “Moonshine Hill” is another good way to appreciate a representative slice of the album and also the fiddle skills of member Ashley Parker.

It would seem that the band takes its title from Townes Van Zandt’s (a former Houston resident) song of a similar name. It’s pathetic and infuriating when a band takes a name inspired by a true idol and then uses the unearned recognition provided by said name as a soapbox to churn out forgettable crap music. But Second Lovers has definitely earned the right to borrow based on their commitment to producing authentic folk music that will hopefully set an example for a generation of musicians looking to ride the
next train out of gravy station. Americana is not dead if its future is going to be curated by more people like
members of Second Lovers. - Free Press Houston

"Amazing harmonics, sweet strong pure melodies, very talented instrumentalists and a group vibe that flows so well it allows the crowd to feel comfortable and truly enjoy the craftiness of each song! Also it helps that you all have bright souls & it reflects onto your audience! I looked around the room last night and folks never even heard yall before had a smile on their face just in awe & sweet bliss!" - Jordan of LocalLiveHouston.com

"The foursome -- Nico Morales, Kathy Garza, Henry Largo and Ashley Parker -- weaves together charming vocals, semi-aggressive drumming and brave songwriting... We gave them a proper listen... and they were good. ARE good."
- Houston Press

"Ahh, I love the sounds of a good folky, indie band. The vocals are so beautiful and the band is elegant sounding. I really love it, it’s mellow but edgy. How great. ?"
- Likes For Locals