After a couple of years touring the UK, I, The Lion have returned to the studio to put together their latest EP. The first single, ‘Hold Strong’, was a triumphant return to the post-punk scene and is a great indicator of things to come for the Cheltenham trio.

Stylistically, the track reminds me of Young Guns’ debut album Bones, which is definitely a positive, and this theme runs throughout the EP.

The vocals leave a little to be desired, and they would definitely benefit from being a little more melodic, however they do carry the instruments well and they definitely grew on me as I listened further.

‘Icarus’ is definitely the jewel in the crown on this EP, featuring staccato guitar, upbeat drums and a slower-paced verse from about 2:20 onwards which creates an interesting change of pace.

In fact, the lead guitar throughout the EP is really interesting, and definitely promising for I, The Lion as an up-and-coming band. Throughout the release, the tracks seem to focus more on instrumentals than vocals, which definitely isn’t a negative when they are such high quality.

At around 15 minutes long, Run is an EP you can get your teeth into, yet there is enough variation in pace to prevent individual tracks feeling like they’re dragging on.

‘Man Made Of Mice’ is an upbeat post-punk anthem in the making, with enough personality and heart to see this band gain the popularity it deserves.

The EP is wrapped up by ‘Bonny Island’, a more melodic track which still packs a punch with its larger than life choruses.

Run is set to be self-released on February 9, 2015, and I admire I, The Lion for taking that brave step. However, with the amount of hard work the trio have put into this EP, I’m certain it will pay off in the new year.

– Katie Boyden