Album Review: Lion Cub - American Buffalo

What started off as a small-time project between friends in Massachusetts, Lion Cub currently stand strong with a debut EP and one full-length release. Now, songwriter Chad Jewett returns with fellow band members Chelsey Hahn, Trevor Johnson and Tom Diaz to release Lion Cub’s sophomore LP, ‘American Buffalo’.

The title track ‘American Buffalo’ opens this 13 track album. A soft intro of strings and Xylophone lead you into a pacey indie track that really shows the band in a positive light. If you were sceptical to begin with, any doubts are cast aside almost immediately!

The album continues with ‘Goldenrod’ and, the fan favourite, ‘Flora/Fauna’. For me, the repetitiveness of the track does seem to wear thin after a while, however, you can see why the band have chosen to make a video for this song as it seems to have that commercial edge.

As you listen to the album, and as you become more familiar with each track, you realise that each track is layered with many subtle instrument parts. Tracks such as ‘My Year In Cotton’, ‘Tuba Roses’, ‘Your Bronzed Apple’ and ‘Summer Olympic’ are all so intricate in the way that they’re put together; catchy, heart-felt lyrics are met with heavy synthesisers and, on occasion, some beautiful flecks of post-rock guitar are thrown in.

The album ends in very much the same fashion in which it begins. A cross between Bright Eyes (the vocals) and Bloc Party (the music), ‘My Year In Cotton’ is a fitting ending to this great album.

The band have clearly refined their sound since their debut LP ‘Seneca’. Each track has a sense of synergy and sincerity that is so hard to find nowadays, and it certainly makes the album stand out. Ultimately, there’s something about ‘American Buffalo’ that is truly captivating; whether it’s the charm or the incredibly infectious tunes, you’ll find yourself listening to this album over and over again… and quite rightly so!

4/5

‘American Buffalo’ by Lion Cub is released on July 5th through Topshelf Records.

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Sandeep Daweet