Driving between appointments the other day, I had Planet Rock on the radio. The song that was playing was the new one from The Sheepdogs.
That same day, I happened to listen to this from Lions In The Street on my way to work, and a thought struck me: exactly how do so many Canadian bands make so much fantastic music?
Okay, this lot are from Vancouver and San Diego, and they’ve been going for 20 odd years (long story), but what matters is basically twofold:
1) “Moving Along” is here at last.
2) It’s absolutely phenomenal.
To get down to brass tacks, as Clutch might say, the title track, if not quite all you need to know, is a hell of a starting point. There’s a bit of an intro, like they’re tuning up… then bang! There’s a harmonica riff, and away we go.
So let’s get it said straight away, shall we? In 1990, I heard The Quireboys and The Black Crowes, and a love affair began that lasts to this day (I mean, come on, have you heard “Happiness Bastards” and “Waldour Street”?) And those bands are never far away here.
Certainly not on “Mine Ain’t Yours” – the intro to which is best described as “Stones-y”.
Indeed, all of these feel like you’ve heard them before. CCR themselves would be proud of “Walkin’ Back To You,” and “Gold Pour Down” has a confident strut about it.
Singer Chris Kinnon has a voice that was made for this (brother Jeff is on drums), and the band (completed by Sean Casey on guitar and Enzo Figliuzzi on bass – the latter is classically trained) have a rare gift.
That is to say, you’d listen to the mid-paced “Lady Blue” and swear it was a cover. Everything here is as familiar as an old friend.
Even allowing for that, “Waiting On A Woman” is a beauty, and “Already Gone” lets its hair down for a proper boogie. Further cementing the thought that LITS are probably sensational live.
It’s as simple as this really. If you’ve ever loved guitars and drums, you’ll love this. “Shangri-la” offers the thought that “it’s hard in a rock n roll band,” which, given their history, might be too true but also makes it sound like there’s nowhere they’d rather be.
Let me preface this sentence about “Hey Hey Arlene” by saying that my favourite Elvis song is his cover of “Promised Land”. This has the same vibe. Enough said?
“All For Your Love” chugs and grooves and wishes it was the 1960s, and “Truer Now” is the record’s acoustic moment. Its back porch strum is gorgeous and warm too, but it’s only appropriate that “…Along” ends with a charged-up electric rocker, albeit one with a blues tinge – and an incredible closing solo.
There is one name that I haven’t mentioned yet in this lot of words, and it’s one I’ve wrestled with since the start: The Commoners. Also Canadian and with a similar outlook, they arguably had the album of the year in the bag. Now, these Lions have roared though, it’s not so certain. They, like everyone else, might have to keep “Moving Along”.
Rating: 9.5/10
REVIEW: LIONS IN THE STREET – MOVING ALONG (2024)
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