You may have heard this PEI-based quartet, which formed in 2004, before … just under a different name. In early 2008, they changed their band name from the Chucky Danger Band to Paper Lions. The band has cited many, wide-ranging influences: The Police, The Beatles, and Queen are among several other diverse artists and bands, stretching across time and genre, that Paper Lions have drawn from and been inspired by. I guess that’s why it is a fruitless task to try to categorize Paper Lions’ sound on this self-titled record, which was released in 2007.

Frontman John MacPhee is soft and subdued, channelling a Ron Sexsmith-like quality, as he seems to croon effortlessly into the microphone. John, who takes on the vocals and acoustic guitar, is joined by his brother Rob on the bass, their childhood friend Colin Buchanan on lead guitar, and David Cyrus MacDonald on drums and other percussion.

“Can You Feel It” and “Picture” are a couple of the more impressive songs on this release. While “Can You Feel It” is a foot-tapping, lively, and overall decent rock song, “Picture” is slow, sweet, and sounds a lot like something you might have heard in the early 90s; it carries that same sadness and introspective quality that was so prevalent during that time.

Paper Lions are easy-listening, simple, grounded, and a bit romantic. While it has become more and more commonplace to hear unconventional sounds coming out of emerging bands, it is refreshing that Paper Lions not afraid to be light-hearted, a bit silly (see their music video for “Queen Charlotte of the Hyenas” and that fact that they itemized ‘salad bowl, water-filled mixing bowl, glass bottle, and laughter’ on the list of additional instrumentation for this album), and true to a sound that, although relatively safe in terms of style, is time-honoured and always relevant.



Track Listing:

Strawberry Man
I’m On Fire
Travelling
Bones
Queen Charlotte of the Hyenas
Freeways or Flight
The Sheriff
Can You Can Feel It
One Thousand Voices
What If
Picture