Ola Podrida “Belly of the Lion” Review

Austin-based musician David Wingo is back with the the hauntingly beautiful Belly of the Lion, the second LP under his Ola Podrida moniker. The disc follows up the textured acoustic melodies of his self titled debut and shows the expansive depths Wingo is capable of. The simple arrangements are deceptively dramatic and soak over the listener like waves throughout the album’s nine songs. It is ultimately a record that can, and should, be digested as a whole, with each track serving as a piece to a larger puzzle. Wingo’s day job as a film score composer is evident with the striking rise and fall of the 36 minute album as the deft instrumentation and somber lyrics paint somber and serene portraits. The music is restrained without losing a sense of emotion, in a way that only someone who has complete control of the craft would be able to do. While there are no songs that knock you off your feet like “Jordanna” did on his debut, Belly of the Lion is a truly solid album from start to finish. Its soft textures and organic feel prove Wingo to be an artist than can create music that is essentially simple and straight forward, yet still deeply profound.