We haven’t had a rocker like this break onto the Indie music scene since Ida Maria dropped “I Like You So Much Better When You’re Naked” back in 2008…ROUGH ONLINE would like to introduce Lion, a gutsy, slick, confident music artist whose Katy Perry-esque vocal tone will drive you insane and craving for more, especially after the first listen of “Self Control,” track 1 from her debut, self-titled E.P. The song’s stupidly catchy melody in the chorus will have you singing along to the lyrics “it’s typical of you to always wanna’ talk it out, I’m sorry that I laugh so loud, but I thought you’d have learned by now,” and you will not be able to ignore the tongue-in-cheek words of the middle 8…”I find you so hysterical, when you look at me it’s unbearable, so uptight, that face you pull, so sensible.” Basically, it’s one of the best openings to any E.P Rough Online has ever heard, showcasing modern-day, British Punk at its’ finest via the use of a guitar strumming heavily overdriven closed chords in time with the kick which keeps tempo on and off the beat in the verses.
“Oh No” opens with sinister Blues-Rock influenced, guitar playing, but soon enough delves into the iconic energy of Joan Jett and a psychedelic, softer middle 8 delivering a similar vibe to the same section of Alanis Morissette’s “Can’t Not” from the Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie era. It is on songs like this that you just know Lion wants her presence to be recognised and known by all, because them vocals are way too powerful to be ignored, especially when she goes for that scream-like roar in Oh No’s finale, when reaching her rough-edged high notes that throw you back to the gravelly voice of Janis Joplin. At the point when track 3 “Fiction” drops, the first thing that will come to your mind is “this E.P just keeps getting better and better”…and where the hell is the full-length L.P? “Fiction” is by far ROUGH ONLINE’s favourite from this relentless record and Lion’s debut E.P ends with the intensely emotional vocal performance of “Garden” where we hear the singer delivering, authentic, croaky vibrato and a unique tone which will without a doubt choke you up because of its’ sensitive vibe, especially when hearing lyrics like “where you gonna’ go my love, where you gonna’ take my heart?” Lion…consider ROUGH ONLINE a new fan of yours and to all our followers out there, download and stream the “Lion” E.P out now on all online stores. We love, love, love you Lion.