Photo credit: Sasha Hippard
Tucked into a cozy corner of The Top of the Standard, Baby Alpaca unassumingly began what would prove to be a short but seamless set. Frontman Chris Kittrell says his songs are written "so that they can be relatable to anyone," but the smartly dressed crowd on Thursday night at one of the city's most exclusive cocktail lounges reflected the group's less populist following. Still, Baby Alpaca seemed to make sense in the space—its lush, dream-like tunes a perfect complement to the glittering Manhattan cityscape that served as the band's backdrop.
Kittrell's laid-back, crooning vocals shone through immediately with the group's opening song, "On the Roam," which was driven by a standard rock beat (courtesy of Avishai Rozen on drums) and punctuated by ethereal "oohs." By its end, Kittrell jumped into a falsetto, showcasing his versatility. On other songs, Kittrell's autoharp and Ethan Philbrick's cello contributed to a sound that reflected a similar inventiveness.
"Wild Child" had more of an arc, beginning with Zach McMillan's sparse guitar chords, then morphing into an up-tempo groove while still maintaining a beguiling melancholy. Meanwhile, the songs "We Belong Together," "Rollercoaster," and "You're My Pill," which do not appear on the band's debut EP, pointed to the band's promising future.
As the twinkling piano riff on "Sea of Dreams" resonated through the room, it was clear Baby Alpaca was coming back down for a mellow conclusion. Here, Kittrell's voice was wistful as he sang something of a psychedelic lullaby: "We wade in a sea of dreams / Swimming free in the mountain breeze / Far out where it's dark and deep / Dawn's horizon sets us free." The song, perhaps the band's most popular, served as a stirring example of Baby Alpaca's musical aesthetic, one that manages to be both otherwordly and yet somehow down to earth.