Lionizer // Notice Me Senpai! [Single Review

Brock Ford
May 7, 2018
3 min read

Song: Notice Me Senpai!

Band: Lionizer

Release: Notice Me Senpai!

Area: Perth

Date of release: 6th of May

Genre: Indie Punk

Reviewer: Brock Ford

For Fans Of: The Smith Street Band, Waxahatchee, Antonia and the Lazy Susans, Madam Wong.

Next Gig: May 16-19 East Coast Tour

“lost in chemicals designed to stop me shaking. I'm shaking.”

As far as cities go, Perth seems to fly under the radar. It does, however, have its fair share of claims to fame; the perpetually beautiful Swan River, the ever-delightful Kings Park, and, a personal favourite, the fun-filled Nostalgia Box Museum. It is, however, none of these things, or any of the things you’ll find on Trip Advisor for that matter, that top the best thing to come out of Perth. It’s the endearing, amiable, indie-punk rock band, Lionizer that lands the coveted award of “Best thing Perth has to offer”.

That’s why when I heard the three-piece outfit were releasing new material I became as excited as a silly fan boy (myself) when a decade-long wait for a film (The Avengers: Infinity War) is finally ended.

'Notice Me Senpai!' is the first single released by Lionizer since 2017’s "New Parts of Me", and it picks up right where that LP left off. A catchy hook kicks off the tune, and you just know you’re going to spend the next 3 and ¾ minutes dancing. As soon as Vez Litten’s vocals kick in, however, you’re immediately captivated by the story. Lyrics, juxtaposed perfectly by the up-beat guitar tones, extend a pharmaceutical metaphor throughout the track, and you are left wanting to know more about the life of this enchanting individual.

As you dance, contemplatively, through the pre-chorus, you find yourself bobbing along to a catchy AF chorus. The notion of learning from one’s pain builds out of the nostalgic “when bloody knees hit concrete, you can't fall any further”. And just when you don’t know whether to sing, cry, or book a plane ticket to Perth, and hug Litten, you get stuck dancing again, screaming along to the woah woahs post chorus.

At times, however, the track does seem to lose the tempo, before picking back up again. It creates a kind of dysfunctional sound, which sort of fits with the theme of the track, but I lost my head bang, and I didn’t know when to start again. But that is about as critical as I could get. Maybe vocals could have been a little louder in the verses, as they do seem to be drowned out by high guitar tones. The chorus, however, is just what you want/need in your life, and will leave everyone of us singing along with each listen.

It is a powerful track, and within 45 seconds of having it on, it was in my Aussie Punk playlist. I highly recommend adding it to yours too. You will not be disappointed. Ever!

Lionizer are popping over to the East Coast for a few shows in May, and you will not want to miss them. These guys are going places, with smart lyrics, catching tunes, and just an all-round air of intelligence. 'Notice Me Senpai!' is absolutely no different. Watch out World, Lionizer are coming!