Living With Lions – Holy Shit

By now, the controversy surrounding Living With Lions’ sophomore release has began to settle down. For those who are unfamiliar, the band was attacked by a journalist from LA Weekly about their album artwork that depicted Jesus as a giant turd. This resulted in them repaying the funding that they had received through federal grants. Those on both side of the fight focused so much energy on the battle over theBlink 182 type potty humor that they never acknowledged the actual music on the album.

Unless it is buried deep in metaphor, I can hear no Biblical references on the album at all. Instead, I hear an album full of pop punk and post hardcore songs. Surprisingly, the weakest song on the album is the lead single, Honesty, Honestly. I have watched the funny video numerous times and listened to the album through dozens of times and I still cannot remember anything about this song until it begins to play. It isn’t an obviously bad song, but I think that being so forgettable, it stands out on the album.

Now that we have gotten all of the unpleasantries out of the way, we can get down to the praise. Their self titled release showed promise, but had a handful of weak songs and missteps. I feel like standing on a pulpit and preaching the gospel that is Holy Shit. This is one of the best pop punk albums that I have heard in the past few years. Vocalist Stuart Ross helps to distance the band from their poppy peers with his unconventional gravelly voice.

The album starts strong with Pieces, invoking comparisons to Moneen. It’s followed by the bouncy Regret Song, a bittersweet look at a relationship gone wrong; the perfect companion piece to the previous album’s highlight Bottle of Charades. The lyrical content of the album is far from metaphysical, instead focusing on easily relatable themes like love and loss. I guarantee that crowds of sweaty young males will be screaming the opening line to In Your Light (This is a heartfelt fuck you) at live shows across North America. No matter how they come across, hardcore guys have feelings too.

The rest of the album follows the Living With Lions formula: fast poppy punk with catchy choruses. Whatever You Want will be a crowd pleaser with lots of opportunity to sing the title back. Maple Drive is Still Alive reminds me of Somehow Hollow, with a comfortable blend of punk and emo.

The first half of the album is the strongest, but album closer When We Were Young demands multiple listens. It is a heartfelt look back at the past and the reality of growing up. The lyrics are powerful, yet simple (Face of an angel, shot down In the streets, Covered up feelings behind these punk rock beats), but the seriousness of the subject matter is ruined by the silly soundbite at the end that sounds like a cut from Fubar.

Hopefully the controversy that surrounds the album artwork helps get the Living With Lions name out there because they are a great up and coming band. Their live show is amazing and their sophomore release shows growth as songwriters and musicians. This is a solid release from a Canadian band who has managed to get some exposure south of the border. It is definitely worth a listen.