After a long road filled with hills and potholes, Lions in the Street have released their follow-up to their 2010 self-released debut album. Their initial debut with TVT Records in 2008 was pulled under by legal battles over rights. The On the Lam EP is filled with gritty rock and roll tracks that hark back to The Rolling Stones. Because Chris Kinnon’s vocals remind me of The Black Keys’s Dan Auerbach, even though Chris has a much deeper voice, there’s a lot of resemblance to modern rock.
The album sounds like classic rock and roll although some amount of modern folk or country twang is present in the music. This influence is especially true in the track “Tighten The Reins,” which has a distinct modern country sound while also paying tribute to the blues and country that produced the rock and roll genre in the first place. While the country sound is most prevalent in “Tighten The Reins” it does pervade other songs on the EP.
Despite the country influences, On the Lam is a great modern take on classic rock — a genre that is too often moored by repeating the same old songs on the radio while new bands produce more alternative, folk and indie rock music. The heavy guitar riffs and percussion from Chris and Jeff Kinnon are a joy to listen to and frequently a nostalgic experience, at least for me.
While listening to the album, I have the urge to jump in my truck and hit the highway. The unfortunate part is that I won’t get very far — there are only five tracks on the EP. A full album from Lions in the Street can’t come soon enough.