Like Lions: “U Got Me” – music for celebrating love

“U Got Me” is the second single from the upcoming record “An Aging Millennial”, by Like Lions – the solo-project of artist/producer Patrick O’Neill. Sporting a marriage photo as the cover art, the track is rooted in O’Neill’s relational experiences, written from a place of hopefulness in lasting love. “I’ve always gravitated toward moodier music,” says the Seattle-based singer-songwriter, “but over the past couple years, I’ve tried to break that lyrical rut and open up about the things that make me genuinely happy. It’s been a rewarding process for sure.” It’s nearly impossible to deny the blissful energy rising off the instrumentation and O’Neill’s voice on this track. The clicking beat coasts to a playful rhythm, the tempo rising as the synth pads lets loose radiant tones. Blending with the vocals, the song comes together to present an enchanting harmony. The vocals linger over a seductive beat and light piano notes, providing a warm and relaxing presence.

It is delightful to hear how the vocals and instrumental work off one another, intensifying the track’s emotional weight. O’Neill’s voice rises off the melody; not only does this provide more of a weight to his voice, but it also adds a warmth to the material’s playful energy. Like Lions manages to repeat the mystifications of his previous effort – a modern-spun record driven by a myriad of flavors.

And one thing is certain, O’Neill does not seem interested in taking one route over the others. And why should he have to? It’s rare to have an artist in modern music who can jump from soothing lullabies to uplifting anthems, to Top 40 radio tracks so effortlessly. Sometimes all in one song!

“U Got Me” is in part a musical reflection on the artistic and emotional influences informing the singer-songwriter. It is akin to a memoir used to record O’Neill’s personal ruminations. He uses the track to capture deep personal sentiment, only this time around, as he previously explained, it’s a joyous one.

While his bellowing choruses demonstrates that O’Neill has a dynamic vocal range, it’s his willingness to hold back in favor of light and staccato notes on a song like this that takes things to another level.

“U Got Me” is assured, unrushed, complex, soulful and passionate, with Like Lions’ specific blend of electronica, rock, hip-hop and punk. It’s nourishing and substantive, and a reminder that enduring music is possible in 2019. “U Got Me” is an intense, irresistible dive into the depths of human emotion and experience.

It’s music for celebrating love, togetherness, and connection; for dwelling in the beauty of life’s majesty. Like Lions manages to find clarity and balance whilst embracing inspiration. Musically, I doubt O’Neill has ever sounded more sure of himself. As catchy as it is breathtakingly stunning, with “U Got Me”, Like Lions has set the bar awfully high for himself, and others, this time around.

More About: Like Lions is the solo project of Seattle-based singer, songwriter, and producer Patrick O’Neill. Alongside Seattle Ben Kersten, the project released the full-length ‘All Be Fine’, which led to the Like Lions moniker being maintained, and O’Neill rapidly releasing solo-produced EPs ‘Baby For Days’ and ‘Hello Ghosts’ over a two-year span, under the same name. Through 2015-2016 he decided to take a hiatus from creating new music, focusing on his education at Berklee School of Music. To celebrate O’Neill’s 30^th birthday, Like Lions released the single ‘Older’, during April this year. The song alongside “U Got Me”, will be part of his upcoming project, “An Aging Millennial”.