Local Review: West Max – Lions Tigers & Bears

West Max
Lions Tigers & Bears
Self-Released
Street: 10.03.2025
West Max = Flor + Kamden Freeman + James Vincent McMorrow

Lions Tigers & Bears by West Max is a prolific feat of an album with 19 tracks of varying lengths. Balancing the strum of acoustic guitars with layers of distortion, fuzz and synth, West Max is a band with an experimental indie rock style all of their own. Buckle up for a journey with this one!

“All Aboard” is an acoustic invitation to the album, slowly building as it offers the listener “a ticket to ride.” The vocals are able to go high without becoming too falsetto, creating a lilting and airy vibe that feels reminiscent of James Vincent McMorrow. But the train isn’t moving yet, and everything is far quieter than it will be once we get going along the track.

If you listen to one song from this album, let it be the title track. “Lions Tigers & Bears” is a wonderful encapsulation of all of West Max’s best sounds. I loved when the melody broke off and a fuzzy outro sent us home. This musical move is similar to a poetic turn, using the momentum of preceding notes and feelings as a diving board to send us into waters unexpected, yet connected. This is one of the coolest musical choices West Max makes, reappearing now and then as the songs go on.

Ignore this next title’s connotations of “horses in the back” — in “Old Town Roads,” the drums were the star for me. Then I hit the part where all the vocals overlap in balanced and beautiful layers of varying distortion. Raw and soulful vocals weave across the mix, breaking through like sunlight. The order of tracks on the album feels deliberate and thought-out. Each song moves into the next in a way that shows their contrast while building momentum. A few instrumental, interlude-style songs intersperse the mix, such as “Coimbra,” “Virginity,” “Skateboarding at Churchill” and “World Ending. Our Fault.”

West Max’s Spotify bio reads, “Dance music for your bedroom.” By the time I was deep in the album, I understood this vision — especially in songs like “Story of My Life” with its synth bassline and crashing drums and “Fade Away Completely,” where synth organ brings us in, but a bright beat launches the song further.The album’s dark night of the soul is “Condensation.” The first half of the song is solo electric guitar and lamenting solo vocals, singing “You made me believe it was destiny.” The second half is spoken word over a more rolling beat, turning the focus from regret to the golden memories of what once was.

“Missle Me” creates an apocalyptic setting, a harsh drum setting with a slow beat as the lyrics ask, “So as the world is ending, will you hold me?” This song is made for impact, especially in our current day and age when many of us feel like we’re powerless in the face of impending destruction. “Missile me / I want to explode,” the band laments.

Every last one of these 19 songs is unique — I’m impressed. I wonder how the album would be different if the band had tried to cut it shorter. What would have been gained, and what would have been lost? Although it takes a while to listen straight through Lions Tigers & Bears, the length allows the space for a full exploration of West Max’s style and sound.

It’s hard to pick a favorite song out of the lineup, but mine is “Old Town Roads.” There’s a song for everyone on this album. If you need a good long listen to keep you occupied and on your toes, turn on Lions Tigers & Bears. Chances are, you’ll find a clutch of new favorites to put on repeat. —Rebekah Bowman

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