Lions Lions: To Carve Our Names

"The title of the record is about making your mark. Whether you're an artist, grocery store clerk, lawyer, or gardener, it's important to leave an impression. Touring and recording music is our way of doing that." These comments, from the promotional materials for To Carve Our Names, speak to a basic truth: most people feel a need to do things in their own way, to leave a fingerprint. I think that's generally true and I certainly admire the sentiment behind such remarks. Nevertheless, there's always a certain risk in releasing albums to the public. Listeners (and commentators) are a restless bunch, always on the lookout for something new, something fascinating, something that has to be played over and over and over again. With To Carve Our Names, I can't say that Lions Lions has made a strong impression on me, but it may appeal to established fans of the band. With this album, though, Lions Lions has largely moved away from heaviness and are exploring a more emotive, even yearning, sound that I found less-than-engaging.

Lions Lions describes their sound as post-hardcore. These labels are notoriously difficult and, as the band itself suggests, can pigeonhole some of the finest artists out there. The music on this album is generally well written and sometimes even has a certain ambition to it; nevertheless, I found the album as a whole to be far more engaged with the lighter side of heavy music than with anything else. I'm not suggesting that heavy metal--in all its variety--needs to be constantly chugging away at power chords or droning along to detuned sludge, but I think there's a fine line between heavy music and music that reaches into passages that are more akin to pop music. Yes, some of the tracks have heavy riffs and some of the vocal passages are growly, but Lions Lions seems more engaged with exploring their twin harmonies, strumming full chords, and singing the most yearning melodies this side of emo. I think this album will appeal to listeners who are already established fans of Lions Lions or who love the more upbeat direction of post-hardcore.

Track Listing:
1. Milestones
2. The Undertow
3. Stable as Stone
4. White Flag
5. The Right Steps
6. Carry On
7. Losing Balance
8. Grounded
9. Rescue
10. Letting Go
11. Our Colors

Added: July 16th 2012
Reviewer: Carl Sederholm
Score:
Related Link: Band Myspace Page
Hits: 1949
Language: english

[ Printer Friendly Page ]
[ Send to a Friend ]