Dynamic and emotive, And Then Like Lions begins with a reflection on the breakdown of singer and songwriter Israel Nebeker’s 13 year relationship, and ends with a tribute to his father, whose battle with cancer and death is much of the album’s focus. Blind Pilot’s third album was written and composed over the course of three years amidst these difficulties in Nebeker’s life, and the result is a highly emotional record made up of sweetly optimistic yet mournful tracks.
Opening track Umpqua Rushing announces a softer sound for the folk band. It’s a slow and hazy grower, gently building with a melancholic hum. Off the back of the soaring opener, Joik 3 is a bittersweet, introspective song about self-discovery and acceptance.
Nebeker’s voice is sweet and earnest, floating around the textural melodies with a gentle strength and clarity. Sharply and beautifully produced, though many of the tracks have a similar feel, the album never comes across as formulaic or repetitive. In Don’t Doubt, Packed Powder and Seeing is Believing, the record tackles themes of suffering and purpose, deftly avoiding self indulgence or pretentiousness, while demonstrating the full power of the six musicians playing together.
The final two songs end the album on a triumphant high. A symphony of strings begins What Is Yet, layered with a horn section and sounding like a Bond theme. The polished introduction to the penultimate track is a contrast to the, at times, wailing vocals, the rawest on the album. The anthemic Like Lions, compares human strength to that of lions in a lush and uplifting finish to a dynamic album that at its core, explores the human spirit simply and honestly.
BY CLAIRE VARLEY
