Band: Lambs Become Lions
EP: Clear Eyes, Full Hearts, Can’t Lose
Written by: Chiara DiAngelo
Chasing your dreams takes guts. And sometimes it takes a Coach Taylor-like pep talk to have the courage to do so. Borrowing the title from the Dillon Panthers’ (Friday Night Lights) now famous motto, St Catharines-based band Lambs Become Lions’ new EP Clear Eyes, Full Hearts, Can’t Lose does just that. Penned with honest lyrics that are heartfelt without being contrite, Lambs Become Lions are there, whispering words of encouragement to pull you up when you’re feeling down. Especially on “Simpler Things” and “(They Won’t) Let Me Sleep,” CEFHCL challenges you to persevere, to spread your wings and pursue whatever it is that made your youthful and unjaded spirit truly happy before the mundane obligations of everyday reality set in.
CEFHCL opens with the ballad “When I Open My Eyes.” The overly saturated romance in this one may be slightly too saccharine for some to stomach, however the EP improves as it progresses. The poignant lyrics on “Ghosts” eloquently question humanity: “far across the ocean, too many children go starved, but we only show emotions when it costs too much to fill our cars” while “Someone Else’s Dream” details the mundane obligations of everyday reality that can so easily crush a person’s will to keep at it. And well, any band that references The Gaslight Anthem (“The ‘59 Sound”) instantly wins my attention. Beyond that, “Postcards” was made to be added to your summer road trip soundtrack, turned up with the windows down and jetting off to a destination unknown.
All six songs are filled with upbeat, poppy melodies that may come as a surprise considering some of the band members’ roots in harder rock. But the instruments provided by Justin Jennings (guitar), Rob Paulin (bass) and Jesse Ingelevics (drums) are truly the supporting cast on this release, with the words and vocals stealing the show. Having lost their original (male) keyboardist after the release of previous EP Cicada, the band has since added Vanessa Lepp on keys and backup vocals. Her female harmonies flutter in alongside Eric Conlon’s lead vocals and all of a sudden the songs that have been played live multiple times now sound exactly how they were always supposed to.
CEFHCL can be picked up digitally on Bandcamp. Lambs Become Lions recently wrapped up a jaunt on the road with Lifestory:Monologue for their farewell tour. If you didn’t make it out to a show, check out the band’s recent video for “Someone Else’s Dream” instead!
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