Transcendental - not sure whether that’s an adjective I enjoy being bandied around music too liberally. However, opening track ‘Lily’ has more than a whiff of Eno’s ambient series surrounding it. It’s not exactly an eye opener of a song, yet is fairly indicative of where Jonquil are heading for the rest of the album.

Lions is a wholly inoffensive affair, which doesn’t make it bad. However, I can imagine hearing Lions on a Sunday evening whilst consuming sausage and mash and dozing off the last of a hangover. Simple melodies for simple times. By the time the band reach ‘Pencil, Paper’ it sounds like they’re lulling themselves to sleep having had a delightful afternoon of blackberry picking. Which is, of course, ever so nice!

The title track is perhaps the most interesting pick from the album, carnival-esque and slightly ominous, interesting enough to put down your punnit for a minute.

Lions is not bad, but is far too tame for its name.

Eliot Nash