“The music/art project of Dan Gallagher from Bucks County, Pennsylvania, gathers like fallen leaves from a gentle breeze of a thousand evenings, turning and waiting fort that tumbling riot, en masse.” – Come Here Floyd
The upcoming album from indie-folk artist Crow vs Lion displays a homespun collection of personal snapshots from a dust-tinged Americana projector. Seamlessly shifting from one story to the next, it is an inner monologue of the impermanence, beauty, and appreciation of existence that transpires as effortlessly as a conversation in the wind. Recorded with Raph Cutrufello (Hezekiah Jones), The Heart, The Time, The Pen is more than just a collection of words on paper, it’s a real-time account of one man’s journey, with each step unencumbered and ready to share, though often veiled with clever wordplay and symbolism. The album is due for release on October 17, 2019.
Crow vs. Lion is the music/art project of Dan Gallagher from Bucks County, PA. The Heart, The Time, The Pen, the second full-length album, was written for Gallagher’s two sons, Danny and Dylan, who actually make appearances in the music. It’s a collection of songs that dives deeper with each subsequent listen, as seemingly small intricacies begin to assume responsibility for the underbody of the work as a whole. While deeply personal in the sense of each song referencing a fleeting moment in life, the album is inspired more intimately from moments with family transposed into an artistic life. While deeply personal, the work is also refreshingly accessible and listenable as a result of its undeniable authenticity.
The album’s single, “Newborn (Exon 42)” conjures chills like swaying pines on a brisk fall evening. From the hauntingly seamless ensemble of harmonies through the progressive addition of each musical component, it gently builds as Gallagher confronts an internal monologue and resolution. The single was meant to soothe, both during high points and inevitable lows, conveying the realization that whatever pain one might be experiencing, it can be channeled as a source of strength. This notion is the cornerstone of the work, which challenges people to reflect on the beauty of their own existence.
Gallagher ambitiously separates the themes the heart, the time, the pen into three sections dedicating four songs to each section. The last song, the title track, embodies all three themes. The work is intentionally constructed to go deeper into the writer’s psyche as the album progresses from beginning to end. The listener will hear three transitions that are placed before the first song of each section that serve as indicators they are entering a new theme (The Heart, The Time, The Pen). The samples within these transitions were thoughtfully selected and contain deeper meanings to the three themes respectively.
The artwork for the album heavily supports the album concept. In it you will find Danny & Dylan’s Guide to the album, 13 veiled correlations with the number 13, pictures that hold meaning to the concept, use of his son’s favorite color…red, and a Listener’s Guide to the album containing several other deliberate details that showcase another side to Gallagher’s imagination and creativity.
The Heart, The Time, The Pen Track Listing
- Daniel Odin
- Beg, Steal & Borrow
- Newborn (Exon 42)
- Missouri
- Five Six Seven Eight
- Waking The Truth
- Entropy
- The End of Everything
- I’m Gray
- Alpha & Omega
- Red Ring
- A Thousand Pages
- The Heart, The Time, The Pen
About Crow vs Lion:
Crow vs. Lion is the music/art project of Dan Gallagher from Bucks County, PA. Gallagher’s music has evolved considerably since its debut album Rest Your Bones. One constant that remains is the songwriting ethos. In the upcoming album, The Heart, The Time, The Pen, the writing style is altered from song to song within each section (theme), but also each section’s overall aesthetic carries its own sonic ambience into a fluid juxtaposition. The album was recorded by Raph Cutrufello (Hezekiah Jones) and is due out October 17, 2019.
