Lion & Bear is from Southern California. The friends from childhood, Andrew Enos and Michael Landingham, both experienced devastating losses of children followed by a stark realization: most people don't know how to grieve. They fashioned the band from the ashes of their anguish in an effort to find healing and share that healing with others. Lion & Bear, a moniker inspired by the Bible's King David, is an emblem of hope for the weary proclaiming this truth: pain is messy and uncomfortable, but if you go to the depths of your humanity, God will be there.
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The Hollowest Times Are Filled With The Presence Of God| Posted July 26, 2021 What You Need To Know
Brothers-in-law Andrew Enos and Michael Landingham, also known as Lion & Bear, bring us Hallows, their new full-length album. The songs explore the breadth and depth of God from His greatness to His steadfast love, especially in times of tragedy and loss.
What It Sounds Like
The first track "Stillness" is an anthemic declaration of God's ever-present love in our lives, that especially shows up in the times when we are willing to be still. The vocals and lyrics shine throughout the album. "Held By Your Love" is an acoustic worship ballad reminiscent of the band The Brilliance. At moments, the instrumentation and vocals are sweet, something you can rest in, the song ebbs and flows, with purposeful moments of rest.
Spiritual/Lyrical Highlights
"Held By Your Love" is written from a place of tragedy. It's an earnest prayer exalting the promises of God. The chorus repeats "How could I forget all Your promises/And all that You've done, I'm held by your love." It helps us to remember who God is even in our times of struggle and stress when it feels as though no one else cares.
Best Song
Each song on the album holds a place in the central theme of grief and God's promises and steadfast love within those times. "Lighthouse" sums up the perfect metaphor for these times. The chorus rings out "I've been shipwrecked and lost at sea/Nothing held me back from following/Your voice brought light in the dark/A haven shining from the shore/You're my lighthouse." I personally cannot think of a better metaphor for God and a reflection of Psalm 119:105.
Final Word
As I listened through this album in preparing to write this review, I was spinning my legs, preparing for an endurance cycling event. The thought of stillness was furthest from my mind, but yet, I was struck that even in our times of hardest effort, we have to still our minds to let God speak to us. It's when He speaks to us in those hardest of times that we can press on with His promises firmly in our hearts. Christian music exists not only to uplift God, but to uplift the people who are listening to the music. Lion & Bear, from their combined life experience and losses suffered, have given us a soundtrack to remember God and to know that we are never alone in times of grief.
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