With an opening sample from Dr. Martin Luther King, I thought for a minute that I had accidentally slipped a GOOD RIDDANCE release into my stereo. No matter, CALEB LIONHEART take the poignant moment and run with it right into a verse that asks, “Did you hear that Disney bought Coney Island?” Now that’s how you start a record! CALEB LIONHEART have been making noise out of Albany, New York for a few years now, and with two prior EPs under the belt, but Climbing Up A Mountain for the first time dampens some of their squeaks and rattles and takes on some polish. On this four song, 16 minute release, the group shows flashes of pop-punk/melodic hardcore greatness, deftly visiting the styles of early CRIME IN STEREO, STRIKE ANYWHERE, and NEW MEXICAN DISASTER SQUAD. The songwriting is mostly fast paced, with “Make Believe” hitting hyperspeed, and natural catchiness is one of the band’s instant strengths. The “you gotta clap to this” build-up in closer “Our Miracles” is perfectly executed, as is the subsequent repeated sing-along. It took all of two listens to the song before I was prepared to wildly gesture and mimic along the third time around. I’m just as into the serious and smart lyrics on Climbing as the music, with the band reflecting about matters of war and dissent, love and marriage, and the struggles of those in places far less fortunate on a global scale. Despite the heavy tone of the lyrics, and relatively upbeat feel of the band’s music, Climbing does not balk in finding a winning combination of both elements. CALEB LIONHEART are a pop-punk band but they’re keenly aware of which one of those words should have the musical and thematic priority.

Barrett Records