September 2006

pulverradio.com
September 7, 2006
By MICHAEL MCCLENATHAN

Rock music (nay, music in general) may seem to the untrained eye to be in trouble these days. The major labels put out mostly dreck, nobody believes in or watches MTV, terrestrial radio borders on criminally negligent. And maybe (probably) there will never be another time period where people line up around the block from a record store on a Tuesday to buy a record the day it comes out. But all the loudmouthed fatalists just aren't looking in the right places. There is so much good music out there. The ship may be sinking, but there are a MULTITUDE of life-boats heading away from it in every direction. Between Two Lions is in one of them.

Between Two Lions' second release, Put This City On My Shoulders, delivers on the potential promised in their earlier work. And then some. According to the band's own site, "The album tells the story of someone growing up in a small town; leaving to explore the world; then returning, resigned to the fact that he can never truly leave; and finally embracing that fact." But don't expect a straight narrative, because it isn't one. It is, however, a strong collection of songs that, if you're like me and came from a small town, might make you homesick once or twice. I've said it before and I'll echo myself here: this band exemplifies small-town rock. There's no posturing, no big city grit. Just good, pretty songs.