B-Side Guys

Canadian troubadour Ryan Wayne returns with “Lion In The Wall,” a masterclass in narrative songcraft that showcases why his upcoming album “Functioning Dysfunctionals” (due May 9) carries such anticipatory weight. The track unravels as a multigenerational reckoning with addiction’s ripple effects—less confessional than archaeological, excavating family history with precision and grace.

Drawing from blue-collar roots in Oshawa and musical gatherings at his family cabin near Algonquin Park, Wayne crafts a soundscape that mirrors his lyrical terrain. The production oscillates between sparse, vulnerable moments and swelling instrumentation, creating emotional topography that honors both the intimacy of personal revelation and the expansiveness of shared human experience.

What distinguishes “Lion In The Wall” is Wayne’s refusal to romanticize struggle or redemption. The song’s central thesis—that “love and regret walk hand in hand, and understanding comes too late, but never too little”—manifests in arrangements that embrace contradiction. Psychedelic flourishes interrupt Americana foundations, suggesting altered perception without glamorizing escape. This sonic tension reinforces the narrative push-pull between facing painful truths and finding beauty within brokenness.

The collaboration with longtime musical partner Annelise Norohna proves particularly fruitful here. Her contributions to mixing, production, and instrumentation create necessary counterpoint to Wayne’s weathered delivery, establishing dialogue that echoes the song’s multigenerational perspective. This partnership, developed across years of creative exchange, demonstrates how artistic relationship can mirror the complex familial bonds at the song’s thematic center.

“Lion In The Wall” carries additional resonance when considered alongside Wayne’s personal journey—particularly his return to music following two strokes in 2022. This biographical context isn’t necessary to appreciate the song’s inherent power but adds poignant dimension to its exploration of fragility and perseverance.

As the first glimpse of “Functioning Dysfunctionals” (its title borrowed from Wayne’s wife Sarah Craig McEathron), “Lion In The Wall” suggests an artist who has transmuted personal and ancestral struggle into something universally accessible without sacrificing specificity. In a musical landscape often preoccupied with either escapism or performative authenticity, Wayne offers something more valuable: a clear-eyed examination of how we inherit, perpetuate, and occasionally transcend our most difficult patterns.