Bass Lions

From the ashes of indie sweethearts Riley comes the bombastic, poppy rock of Bass Lions, spiralling out of Hamilton, ON. Front-man Nathan Stretch’s rough around the edges, yet warm and smooth on the inside, vocals remind of a young Max Bemis, although instead of acoustic romps akin to Say Anything, Bass Lions find a home in dance-y indie rock, but with a sweet tooth for acoustic indulgence. This double drummer unit know what they’re capable of bringing to the table, and the raw production captures that. "Ransom the Sunset” is a handclapping affair, with a rich, beautiful vocal melody. On the delicate "Good God Jesus” and title track, the band take on rough group chants as if they were the second coming of the Microphones. The fifth track, and perhaps the most memorable, "Like Ashes in My Mouth” is dusted in folksy warmth, and the Radiohead influence on "Funeral Shed” is refreshing and well done, but before you know it the album is over and you wish you had more material from such a promising up and coming band.