Musical. Euphonic. Enlightening. Three of the best words to describe Kae Sun’s album, “Lion on a Leash.” It’s musical because it produces sounds doused in rich, traditional musical elements. Euphonic because it reverberates lightly in the ear and is easy to listen to. The enlightenment rests in its content, which seem to be rooted in the poetic, conscious lyrics of perhaps an activist.
When Obaasema first interviewed Kae Sun in February 2007, he expressed that music was his way of sharing his Christian faith. Not your typical gospel record, yet “Lion on the Leash” demonstrates his musical purpose.
The first track, “How Long,” ushers listeners into a reggae-toned melody with messages of social injustice and a cry of near anguish. But it’s the Afrobeat-like tunes of the second track, “Too Young, Too Soon” that throws one off; the remaining songs do a great job of clouding any classification of this album into a particular genre.
The tapping-like sound of “A Day Goes By” and the track “Jungle Law” pave way for “Black Candles,” a song which carries the heaviness of a dirge. Some of the lyrics read: “These friends of mine║ they never read║ besides I think they’re going the wrong way…Can we grow old when we’re burning slow ║ watching our future drift away like black candles.”
It’s no wonder that the poet in Kae Sun has an insert of a spoken word track, “Freedom Train” by Outspoken Alphai, followed by “Free,” another song about the desire of every race to experience freedom.
The self-titled track, “Lion on a Leash,” is one of the most sweet-sounding songs on the album – partly due to its acoustic nature. “Going the Distance” is a love track in which he reassures the woman that he will go the distance with her, but the love bug doesn’t end with this track. “Blow at the Stars,” the following song featuring Vanderpark, could be slated as the best song on the entire album; it creatively demonstrates the extent of his R&B voice.
“Lion on a Leash” is available in stores in Canada and on iTunes worldwide.