The Jack of Hearts

'The Jack of Hearts, Lionheart's follow-up to 2007's debut full-length Catch the Brass Ring, is the collection of songs that his fans have been waiting for. His 2007 debut was one of surefire potential, emitting "folky Baroque pop" that showed Lionheart's studied appreciation for artists like Harry Nilsson, Simon & Garfunkel, and Elliott Smith. You know, the type of artists that could make a grown man weep with their voice and an acoustic guitar. Lionheart's material is frequently less somber than those aforementioned influences, but beneath his uplifting melodies and joyous harmonies often lies a more artistically reflective side. Of course, he is not your typical folk artist either. His instrumentation often resembles jangle-pop more than it does folk music, like on "Pocketknife" where handclap-percussion, guitar slides, and twinkling keys would resemble twee-pop if it were not for Lionheart's nasally voice. "You made a bareskin bed, I keep our bellies fed," he sings, relating the difference and similarities between using all possible resources to fend for oneself and supporting a family. A thematically simple song, to be sure, but the message is resounding and the harmonies infectious enough to keep listeners coming back for more. Songs like "Pocketknife" present Lionheart's folky twang and lyrical sincerity with the utmost accessibility, which is also found on songs like "My Name" and "Arkansas" that slow down the approach and unfold with more precision, albeit with less forthright infectiousness. The ethereal "Arkansas" shows that Lionheart can create a worthy ballad, with the supporting instrumentation and '60s-like harmonies to boot. His voice is exceptionally rich on all tracks and this one in particular, almost bearing a likeness to Dr. Dog in songs that are able to retain a radio-friendly ideology while sticking to traditional folk instrumentation and hooks grounded in simple things, like a man-made whistle or a sudden burst of energy, like in the jubilant chorus found on "Harry and Bess." Moments like these are more reminiscent of jangle-pop than folk, but his lyrical clarity and constant twang makes folk music a ceaseless presence here. The Jack of Hearts is a damn impressive album that should finally bring Lionheart some acclaim outside of California, even if his breezy vein of poppy folk appears to fit best on the shores of the west coast. Because Lionheart's aptitude for a melodic hook is universal, it is somewhat irrelevant that most of his influences are rooted in the midwest.' - Mike Mineo / Obscure Sound