When I discovered If These Trees Could Talk a few years ago and found they were mostly inactive, I had a major case of FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out for those acronymically challenged). After a bit of research I discovered that aside from a European tour, they mainly only gigged regionally around their home base of Akron, OH. It’s unfortunate because this band could be the perfect chill, but heavy live band.
If These Trees Could Talk have released several instrumental albums that somehow bridge the divide between light and melodic and heavy. With driving cadence by drummer Zack Kelly, the five piece includes no less than three guitarists and a bass player. This allows them to concentrate on a lot of harmonies by the guitar trio of Jeff Kalal, Cody Kelly, and Mike Socrates. It also enables them to maintain a steady rhythm along with bassist Tom Fihe but never strays too far from an almost luminous feel for this post-rock band.
Their latest single, Trail of Whispering Giants, sticks to the format they have perfected over the last 2 decades. If you like If These Trees Could Talk, you’ll like this single, and I certainly do. Strangely, this band has become my go-to music for kayaking. Sure, I’ll go without music to enjoy the sounds of nature but on occasion I find that this is the perfect band to accompany me on those days when I am in for a bit more of a workout instead of just seeing where the current takes me. As an amateur kayaker, even while doing it for the exercise, you’re always at the whim of the water and If These Trees Could Talk somehow seems to operate with nature instead of against it. It may sound odd, but playing the wrong music while kayaking makes me feel guilty but this music just feels right. Thankfully the groundhog has just reported an early spring and this single will join the ranks of the perfect soundtrack for my hobby.
Bernard Romero is a history teacher by day and a music and film fanatic by night. Given that the midwest tends to have brutal winters that he actually enjoys, If These Trees Can Talk has now got him thinking about nicer temperatures, flowing rivers, and the perfect soundtrack for finally getting out on the water.
— The song arrives on all digital platforms February 8, 2024 via Metal Blade Records, and will be followed by a second track, along with live shows and festival appearances.
If These Trees Could Talk lineup:
Cody Kelly – guitar
Zack Kelly – drums
Tom Fihe – bass guitar
Jeff Kalal – guitar
Mike Socrates – guitar
DISCOGRAPHY
Singles
“Trail of Whispering Giants” (2024) – Feb. 8, 2024
Studio albums
The Bones of a Dying World – 2016 (Metal Blade Records)
Red Forest – 2012
Above the Earth, Below the Sky – 2009
EPs
If These Trees Could Talk (2006)
