Living with Lions are an average melodic punk band. They sound like recent
Bad Religion, like blink-182, like any one of a dozen other bands on Fat Wreck Chords or Epitaph. Their lyrical concerns are the same as many of those of their peers, mostly rage at girls who done them wrong and nostalgia for childhood, with little or no concern for the world beyond their navels. Which makes their choice of artwork curious. They've mocked up their CD booklet to look like a Bible, albeit one with Jesus depicted as a man-sized turd in a toga. Because they accepted an arts grant from the Canadian government to make the album, they were forced to withdraw it from the market after public outcry. It's difficult to figure out what connection, if any, exists between booklet/art and album. It's also difficult to convince oneself
Living with Lions are worth thinking about for that long. Their music is generic, competently played, but breaking absolutely no new ground. Only someone utterly obsessed with hearing every pop-punk album ever, by anyone, should pick this up. ~ Phil Freeman