By M

This stripped-down Austin duo brings raw passion and much enthusiasm to the rock table with their simplistic use of drums, vocals and one guitar. It’s not a combination that many bands can successfully pull off, but Sprightly Moans has made a sound uniquely all their own that’s instantly recognizable. 

When most people think of a guitar-and-drum band, Jack White probably comes to mind with his garish brightness and blues-influenced grunge rock but don’t be fooled by the genre. From soft, acoustic melodies tinged with sadness to harder-hitting pop-rock anthems, Sprightly Moans brings to music what a lit fuse brings to a rocket – quiet and unassuming at first, but you’re just waiting for it to explode. 

The lyrics are simplistic but full of meaning, and can bring about a surprising range of emotions within the same song – laughter and melancholy, happiness and reflection – without losing the listener’s focus. Some songs just seem to be the soundtrack to life and its various ups and downs, which means Sprightly Moans should be playing in the back of your mind at least once a day. 

“I Wanna Be Afraid”, a single from their Demos III EP, recalls lazy days with your friends - times when you just hung out together and had a few cold ones in the heat of summer while listening to music on the back porch. The lyrics are trippy and easy to sing along with as you sway with the wind that blows your hair – and your mind. On the other hand, “Love is Nothing Without Eternity” is haunting, ethereal and jaw-dropping in its tenderness and respect to the creation of the song and the words that lie within. 

As brilliant as they are with lyrics and as creative as they are with sound, the vocals can occasionally come across as too muddled to properly understand and might seem a touch overplayed in the closed-mouth way of some singers today. But that’s not to say Sprightly Moans is just another band, not at all. They are a dynamic, integral part of the Austin music scene and around the world, a spaceship waiting to break through the atmosphere into the world beyond. 

Determination, a unique style and caring about their audience is a winning recipe that this band is cooking up fervently, with no plans to stop anytime soon – and that’s good news for everyone.

Sprightly Moans: Demos III

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By Brendon at Shadows Records 

The three track EP is very enjoyable and will be a good home for any fan of classic rock. Often in today's music it's hard to find artists that go straight to their roots without mimicking them entirely. Sprightly Moans brings a fresh spun sound that will have their listeners captivated. I think these guys have a bright future and I look forward to their full album release...

To read the rest of this review, please click here.

Sprightly Moans: Demos III

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By Jer at Sleeping Bag Studios:

“I Wanna Be Afraid,” the second track on the EP is the unsung hero for sure.  I know just by my own natural tendencies that this will end up being the track I love the most.  There’s something about the approach to this track in the chorus…but that line in particular “I Wanna Be Afraid…” it’s almost like you can hear him searching his mind for the feeling each time he repeats the line.  Vocally, this EP again shows just how much a band can grow in a short time.  They are beyond spot on in all three tracks, beyond rock and into the beautiful.  They pull you in; it’s that same somewhat…I dunno…it’s a different approach…like…if you like the singer from The Cold War Kids, you’ll know what I mean I suppose.  They sound like there’s a struggle and a battle to be won each time the mic is switched on; full of raw emotion and a trembling hint that they could just as easily break as explode.

“Love Is Nothing Without Eternity…”

How on EARTH am I going to keep a review on a three song EP to a reasonable length if you people are going to put a track as amazing as THIS on your discs?

To read the rest of this review, please go to sleepingbagstudios.ca

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By Indie Band Guru:

There is music in our heads that always wants to escape into the real world.  Unfortunately it is not always the easiest thing to get the beautiful sounds in your head to transfer to the recorded medium.  Sometimes a little help is needed and a partner in crime/music.  This led to the creation of our recent find, Sprightly Moans...

To read the rest of this review, please visit indiebandguru.com.

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By Chris Romans of Hear The Indie.

Emotion is one of the prevalent qualities on Demos III as far as I am concerned. I know this is a fairly cliche or useless descriptor, but hear me out. While so much garage rock, punk rock, black metal, and other lo-fidelity forms of music are intrinsically emotional in one way or another, it often feels like a facade. So many modern punk bands with their pseudo-anarchistic mannerisms, roaring guitars, and deafening vocalists belting into a microphone feel empty to me. Granted, this is not every act in the genre, but it seems like the music is manufactured for the purpose of sales. As such, emotions are present but empty, used simply to lure people already in an emotional state of mind. Lyrical topics are followed quickly, with so many artists hitting on contrived and stale topics, such as governmental oppression. Sprightly Moans manages to surpass my emotional expectations with unique lyrical topics, often bordering on beautiful poetry (and sometimes surpassing the borderline) and a fairly interesting manner of expressing these thematic concepts musically under the guise of lo-fi garage rock.

Indeed, the lyrics on the whole are a point well worth noting. With each track lending some sort of evocative phrasing or idea. Additionally, the ability of the lyric producer to begin by examining a topic so worn out, then throw in his own existential perspective. I can not get "Love Is Nothing Without Eternity" out of mind, not only because of it's hauntingly simply melody, but because of the words sung throughout. They are catchy because they rely heavily on elements of folk and contemporary pop music, almost bordering on a religious tune by the likes of Michael W. Smith at moments, and it leads to an extraordinary output with the focal point being love, death, some sense of existential longing, crossing the border where nihilism (and a generalized disattachment to the physical universe) meets a longing for life...

To read the rest of this review, please go to heartheindie.com.

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By Chris Marsh, of www.crossradar.com.

...and after all that, the curveball is found in ‘Love Is Nothing Without Eternity’ – a beautifully delicate acoustic number with a Hawaiian vibe. It’s a preciously fragile song which wouldn’t be at all out of place on an indie movie soundtrack...

To read the rest of this review, please go to www.crossradar.com.

Along the intricately tangled roots buried deep within the origins of rock, emerges a powerful force known as Sprightly Moans. The Austin, Texas duo has just unleashed the latest single “I Wanna Be Afraid” From their upcoming album Demos III scheduled to be unveiled January 30th, 2014. If the single is any indication as to what Sprightly Moans intends to bring to the discriminating ear, be ready for a chilling meet and greet filled with a perplexing, yet fascinating musical experience.  Laced with a mysterious voyage through the inner-workings of darkness and desire, the single is surprisingly accented with energetic twists and turns.

“I Wanna Be Afraid” is a carefully crafted Hard Rock piece that lyrically dances with the taboo while also redefining the rules of engagement for avid rock consumers. The use of conscious wordplay and elaborate vocal changes throughout the song worked in a cohesive  manner with the instrumental elements to produce a flight of the imagination into an unchartered realm. The lyrics work effectively to blanket the atmosphere with a heavy, shadowy cloud that becomes surprisingly weightless as the chorus lurches in. When a band can actually make the tiny hairs on your neck stand up, it is fairly certain to say that they have delivered...

To read the rest of this review, please go to vdfashionblog.wordpress.com.

By Sir Jorge of SellOutRecords.Blogspot.Com

Sprightly Moans puts together an eclectic blend of music, and does so in such a daring manner. You get that from the first sounds of "Demos III", their latest release, and while it may be short in songs, it proves to be an emblem of creative music. It’s a powerful performance piece that is hard to classify in one genre. Sure, it’s easy to say it’s rock, but it also has moments of indie, symphony, folk, and a touch for the dramatic here and there. You don’t hear this kind of passion in a lot of artists, which is why the album fits so well with me.

Not since I first heard Bradley Hathaway perform at Tomfest, have I heard such a unique mix of passion and poetic lyricism. Sprightly Moans provides a good wall of noise on “Blushes all Around”. Some may liken it to MeWithoutYou, and others may hear shades of Pedro The Lion, with a louder “White Stripes” tenacity on guitars. On “I Wanna Be Afraid” the band really stretches a bit, rolling through a variety of sounds and rhythms yet holding tight to the rock infused sound.

To read the rest of this review, please go to selloutrecords.blogspot.com.

Sprightly Moans: Demos III

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Release Date: January 30th, 2014

Totally unique design; We’re confident that no band has ever created a CD sleeve quite like Demos III. Black felt and regular white card stock were combined to create the sleeve, while three songs rest on an unmarked, silver cd. Fans who get a copy will receive something special; it took us fifteen minutes to make each one.

Demos III has been reviewed by a number of publications, including here, and here.

We are having a CD release party and we’re giving them all away for free. Want one? Then I suppose you’d best RSVP, and quickly.

To purchase a copy before they are all gone, click here.

By Mike Giord.

...I Wanna Be Afraid, which is a true masterpiece, we're really talking about a track of rare preciousness with a very special item on a guitar. Very emotional, a text that makes inroads into any heart. 

To read the rest of this review, please go to musicrev1ew.wordpress.com/

By Mike Giord.

When it comes to avant-garde there comes to mind a lot of music, because the avant-garde masterpieces has given us so many albums... Forgettable. But now come to our rescue the Sprightly Moans, American band with a rock vein makes a voice its characteristic point.

(Please note: this review was originally written in Italian, and the above is a rough translation)

To read the rest of this review, please go to www.mikegiord11.com.