Living Things - Ahead of the Lions Album Review

Living Things
Ahead of the Lions
Red Ink
Album Review

Another hard rock band, but one whose inspiration is somewhat more recent. LA-based Living Things draw from bands like Jet and Black Rebel Motorcycle Club as much as the Stones and AC/DC. When it works, it works really well - songs like Bom Bom Bom have a lovely T-Rex feel and groove, and are catchy enough to bring in fans by the thousand - but there are a few too many overtly (and overly simplistic) political lyrics in the mix to make the album an easy listen.

The passion is undoubted, but the album could have done with a few more standouts musically - it rides the retro-rock wagon just a little but too comfortably. When the amps are at 10, everything's fine, but Living Things don't seem overly comfortable with their slower songs - they're pretty average.

All in all, Ahead of the Lions is a great debut, but you hope that, like BRMC, they find their real voice soon.

Rating 6/10

Mike Rea