
“Jungle Lady” takes the tempo down a few notches and captures Hervey in her most unabashedly seductive, come-hither mode.Īwash in fuzzed-out, shoegaze-indebted guitar licks, album closing lullaby “Little Dreamer” is a sweet ode to never relinquishing the unfettered innocence of wide-eyed youth, with Hervey confessing that “I still run with the lost boys / I still look for mermaids / And I hear the moon at night / Talk to the trees.” Parents in dire need of fresh songs to sing to their children as they tuck them in to bed each night would be well-advised to add this terrific tune to their bedtime repertoire. The propulsive, hypnotic “On the Rocks” boasts a chorus (“I like it straight, like it smooth, on the rocks, baby”) that you won’t be able to shake from your mind, no matter how hard you try. Boasting crunchy snares in abundance, album opener “Whole,” is a grand take-me-as-I-am statement of purpose, which finds Hervey admonishing her judgmental lover to tread more carefully with her emotions, warning “You know you're not bringing out the best of me / I think you need to watch yourself.” On the yearning, shimmering “Satisfy My Love,” a vulnerable Hervey wonders if the object of her affection has what it takes to fulfill her desires and dreams.
#Lion babe begin album full
For us, it all starts at a hook, at a catchy moment, and that’s kind of where we build from.” Indeed, the pair’s songs summon their strength and stamina from the natural connection between Hervey’s versatile, multi-faceted voice and Goodman’s inventive soundscapes, which form an irresistible combination.īegin ’s obvious standouts are the slinky late-night soul of “Treat Me Like Fire,” the Pharrell enabled funk of “Wonder Woman,” the Childish Gambino supported bounce of “Jump Hi,” and the disco-era dancefloor hedonism of “Where Do We Go.” Within the broader context of the full album, these previously released tracks, quite remarkably, lose none of their luster and instead shine brighter than ever before.Īmong the newly unveiled material, highlights abound. But when we think about music in general, there’s always those moments in songs that you just want to sing over and over again. What they’re truly great at, above and beyond all else, is crafting soul-shaking, spirit-raising songs that stick with you long after the final notes fade out.Īs Hervey explained to SPIN last year, “I don’t think either of us identify as pop stars, and we’re not trying to be pop stars. At their core, Hervey and Goodman’s surface aesthetics are of purely secondary importance. So very, very mistaken.ĭon’t let their enviable status as media darlings or their undeniable penchant for the fashionable fool you. However, in the case of Lion Babe’s stunning Begin, you would be mistaken. Now customarily, if a group releases five singles before their album hits stores, you would be forgiven for assuming that the other tracks that round out the album are destined to pale in comparison, conspiring to drag the album down ever closer to mediocrity.
