REVIEWS

MAY 2010
  • DALLAS OBSERVER / Kelly Dearmore 
    • "Pop hooks can be tricky little suckers. Upon initial approach, they often appear to be mildly hummable little ditties. Then, before you've realized what has transpired, the seemingly innocuous tune has morphed into a full-fledged parasite, feeding on your middle ear, refusing to relent until it has taken over your gray matter. Fate Lions grasp this concept and capitalize accordingly. Over the course of its thirteen songs, Good Enough For You negotiates the fine line that lies between simple monotony and a band showcasing its signature sound. Thanks to an energy that's bright, urgent and raw, Fate Lions successfully land on the side of the latter. Led by singer and songwriter Jason Manriquez, the collective showcases the talents of each member, as the lead guitar of Niki Suakum blazes a blissfully melodic course that gussies up otherwise seedy and possibly shameful subjects like one-night stands and "one-dollar handjobs." Manriquez's warm, low tone serves the sunbursts of melody well by providing a slight haze that keeps the proceedings from getting too poppy, effectively tilting the band's vibe more toward the "rock" side of pop-rock. It would be a mistake to confuse honesty for simplicity, especially in the case of this record. The imaginative lyrics—with poetry that can be a tad too whimsical at times—never detract from the fact that the songs just sound so damn good."

MARCH 2010
  • BEST OF TEXAS / Kelly Dearmore 
    • There is a place in this world, a big place in fact, for avant garde and experimental or even baroque sounds. I like The Paper Chase, or Polyphonic Spree as much as the next guy. Arcade Fire? Broken Social Scene? Sure, I dig ‘em. The thing is, those bands can be a bit tough to digest when one is in the mood for a record that can just be turned on while you sit back and be taken over by catchy melodies and spirited beats of a simpler structure or more straight-forward band. Don’t get me wrong, here. I’m not suggesting that something a bit more simple than the latest John Congleton project is equal to a paint by numbers coloring book. I’m simply saying that in this day and age of atmospheric, Sigur Ros-style folkie droning or even Bieber-esque bubblegum, a band that can simply plug in and rock with urgency and simplicity is a quality find. I have mentioned a couple of other Dallas/Ft. Worth area talents recently, and I have no problems with continuing to when it’s a band like this. Fate Lions (Official / Myspace), a power-pop group led by Jason Manriquez, along with mates Drew Gabbert, Niki Saukam, Bob Fante and Josh Hoover, dishes out a form of pop that is void of the empty calories that leaves listeners of most Top 40 stations bloated and unfulfilled. Their pop is the brand that reaches many corners of the sonic universe. The guitar playing; at times blistering, and at other points, insanely melodic, weaves each of the tracks from their LP, Good Enough For You, together with extreme flair. After being taken over by the record, it’s not a shock to learn that it was produced by Salim Nourallah. In fact, for the time being, you can go to their Bandcamp pageand grab a digital copy of their disc for any price that you deem worthy (you can also get a physical copy for only $5.00). These guys are on the road, having just hit SXSW pretty hard, so be sure to check them out when they come near you.
  • SF CRITIC
    • While it would be easy to say that the Texas-based Fate Lions had me at the witty copy splashed across their website, that’s not really fair. Yes, they have crafted a smart voice, and I appreciate that. But is their, ahem, “wannabe smarty pants fist pumping roller rink bubble gum downer pop” any good? Thankfully, the answer is yes. It is pretty good! The production is ultra-smooth, the arrangements lush but uncomplicated. Album-opener “Seen it All” energetically sets the stage with classic rock guitars and hand claps. If you like it, chances are you will be delighted the whole way through. Fate Lions clearly have a firm grip on their sound, and are not trying to reinvent the wheel. When “The Queen Himself” begins you fear you are about to hear a misguided Bowie homage, but the song stays true to their talents and might be my favorite on the album. “All You Do is Crazy” subtly showcases really lovely harmonies, which are another of the album’s stand-out highlights. There are, naturally, a few moments it could do without, including most of “Our Song,” which feels flat and borders on Junior Prom slow dance. For the most part, however, the album is full of the type of sunny, juicy arrangements for which the term “summer jam” was coined.


DECEMBER 2009
  • DFW.COM - Best Local Albums of 2009
    • These 13 tracks, immaculately polished over a yearlong period at Salim Nourallah’s Pleasantry Lane Studios in Dallas, immediately reel you in and leave you wanting more. 
  • UNDER THE TANGERINE TREE
    • E' buffo, molto buffo. E' quasi Natale e sono attorniato da prati e montagne innevate, mentre fuori dalla finestra basse e cupissime nuvole scaricano una leggera ed insistente pioggerella filtrata dalle luminarie e dai jingle-bells della festa. Ma io penso al Texas. Nella sua accezione più classica. Sole. Caldo. Distese sconfinate di nulla. Oppure improvvise metropoli, che mai dimenticano la propria collocazione geografica all'interno di un territorio strano, ampio, di frontiera. Dove anche i suoni più evoluti e progressisti sempre devono fare i conti con una tradizione antica, forte, che segue il trascorrere degli anni come un'ombra e tuttavia non opprime, capace com'è di adattarsi al presente e, ne siamo sicuri, al futuro. Ed è vero, di gruppi che si cibano di tradizione ne escono ancora a frotte, ancora oggi, da tutti gli angoli degli States e soprattutto qui, nella culla della musica americana per come noi oggi la intendiamo. Ma ci sono sodalizi che nonostante tutto fuoriescono dalla massa con dischi assolutamente degni di nota. Uno di questi è Good Enough For You, album primogenito dei Fate Lions.
      Ecco, adesso vi aspetterete che i Fate Lions siano un gruppo country. E invece no. Perchè i suoni delle radici fanno parte del bagaglio culturale della band, ma non ne dominano il suono. Sono radici nascoste eppure, irrimediabilmente, influenzano un album che poi in sostanza è indie rock. La produzione è opera di Salim Nourallah e ogni tanto, in effetti, sembra di sentire l'eco di alcuni suoi dischi, anche se bisogna dire che i Fate Lions sono fautori di un sound decisamente più dinamico. Inoltre, anche se non sempre è obbligatorio esagerare con i riferimenti materiali, mi sento di citare un album recente che, se qualcuno lo ricordasse, potrebbe essere di buon esempio: era il 2006 e in molti - io per primo - etichettavamo This Car Is Big, il primo disco dei Molenes, come uno dei migliori lavori di americana pura degli ultimi anni. Qualora non aveste idea di che cosa stia parlando, sappiate comunque che i riferimenti che facevano grande quel disco sono qui presenti in forze.
      Per essere chiari, brani come Seen It All, Shining Places, la meravigliosa ed evocativa The Queen Himself, ma soprattutto come All You Do Is Crazy e Hard Swallow sono colpi clamorosamente riusciti di indie rock filtrato da contaminazioni rurali, dove le centrifughe liriche e musicali che fanno tanto Wilco e Son Volt sono accompagnate dal carattere forte dei mitici Say Zu Zu. Ma, lo dicevamo prima, la forza di questo disco consiste nella complessa storia che ognuna delle tracce presenti porta dietro di se. Una storia lunga oltre quarant'anni di musica a stelle e strisce. Un percorso capace di unire le concezioni soniche dei progenitori ed associarle con estrema naturalezza alla rivoluzione indie anni '80 e primi '90. Così un brano come Astronaut ricorda i REM degli esordi e The Girls Are Alright è imperniata su girotondi simil-jangle molto Teenage Fanclub, mentre la sublime Calendar Girls porta subito alla mente i migliori Lemonheads, senza scherzi. Good Enough for You? Si, direi proprio di si.

OCTOBER 2009
  • POWERPOPAHOLIC
    • The Fate Lions are a musical quartet lead by singer/songwriter Jason Manriquez. The band has a low key indie pop sound that recalls early REM and The Lemonheads, as well as that sleepy Beta Band vibe. Opening up with a fade-in on "Seen It All" is a good start with a catchy rhythm guitar riff that builds to a multi-tracked chorus. The rumbling "Astronaut" is a solid tune that reminds me of Cracker's "Teen Angst" quite a bit. The 80 and 90's styled shine is all over the album and there is no denying the bands melodic storytelling ability on "Calendar Girls." It would help a little if Jason's vocal was a bit more forceful, but another highlight is the bouncy "Starsign." The albums theme is a bit melancholy, but the beat never slows to a crawl. Even when a song loses it's way, like on "The Queen Himself" - the instrumental solos are so good, it keeps things compelling. The lush arrangements keep you hooked all the way through the album, as there isn't any filler here. The North Texas sound permeates the songs pretty strongly on the albums second half, especially on "Ride The Artifact". So is it "Good Enough For You?" -- if you're not too demanding here, it definitely is.

SEPTEMBER 2009
  • ABSOLUTE POWERPOP
    • Fate Lions are a Dallas-area band that makes low-key, but interesting and melodic pop. So it wouldn't be a shock if you found out that they were produced by Salim Nourallah, the master of low-key-but-interesting-and-melodic-pop himself. Fate Lions are a bit more upbeat and rocking than Nourallah, but they do share his sensibility and style, meaning that these songs may not jump out at you from your CD or mp3 player, but after a few listens they have a sneaky way of insinuating their way into your head. There's plenty to like here - the Teenage Fanclub jangle of "Seen it All" and "Calendar Girls", the catchy Americana of "Starsign", which recalls Additional Moog and Romantica, the Lemonheadesque "The Girls Are Alright", and the Midwestern rock of "Ride the Artifact". Check it out - it's more than good enough for you.

JULY 2009
  • BEAUTIFUL SOUNDS
    • Die von mir sehr ge­schätz­ten Teen­age Fan­club haben sich ja in den letz­ten Jah­ren etwas rar ge­macht. Das letz­te Album liegt vier Jahre zu­rück. Ob und wann mal was Neues kommt ist un­be­kannt. Nun habe ich aber eben­bür­ti­gen Er­satz ge­fun­den. Die te­xa­ni­sche Band Fate Lions, die seit 2007 exis­tiert, wan­delt auf den Pfa­den der Schot­ten­ro­cker, und das klingt wirk­lich toll: me­lo­di­scher Gi­tar­ren­pop, immer auch mit einer Brise Me­lan­cho­lie gar­niert. Gut genug, um hier in mei­nem Blog Er­wäh­nung zu fin­den. ‚Good En­ough For You‘, so heißt auch ihr seit An­fang Juni er­hält­li­ches De­bü­tal­bum, dass es zur Zeit sogar für lau gibt. Vor­aus­set­zung dafür ist le­dig­lich die An­ga­be der ei­ge­nen Email­adres­se.
  • BILL'S MUSIC FORUM
    • The Fate Lions, led by songwriter and front man Jason Manriquez, have roared onto the scene with their new CD entitled, "Good Enough For You". It has a pretty lo-fi indie sound, but remains charming and melodic. The best resemblance that comes to mind is The Lemonheads, but also some traces of Golden Bloom (recently reviewed here), Teenage Fanclub, and the early jangle pop days of R.E.M. "Good Enough For You" is "an album title jokingly plucked from Manriquez’ own experiences regarding family and, oddly enough, food". It will be up to the listener to decide how good it is, but after a couple listens I think these guys could have a real future with proper backing and better resources at their disposal. Manriquez has some keen instincts for pop rock songwriting, and the band incorporates plenty of elements like oohs and ahhs, hand claps, and tambourine to keep things interesting and enjoyable. One thing they should have changed some more is the guitar tone, but at least it is played capably. Manriquez comes across a bit of a slacker in the vocal department, but somehow it seems to fit with the musical and lyrical vibe. By far and away the best track is "Seen It All", but I'd also like to call your attention to the driving "Starsign", which incorporates clever 70s style backing vocals over a breezy acoustic rhythm, the amusing "All You Do Is Crazy", and the clap-a-long treat, "The Girls Are Alright". "Astronaut" would have also made my list, but the distortion on the vocals was a deal breaker for me. All in all, Fate Lions ain't half bad - now the question is: Is it "Good Enough for You"?
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