When Stars of Track and Field lost their original bassist, the band opted to move forward without him, using digital effects and electronic trickery to make up for the absence. The result was Centuries Before Love and War, an album that reinforced the band’s songwriting with samples, analog loops, and various computerized sounds. Released nearly three years later, A Time for Lions finds the group still functioning sans bass, although the electronic elements that made Centuries so unique are gone. Instead, this is a streamlined rock record, filled with sweeping anthems tailor-made to bait new listeners. “End of All Time” features a falsetto-filled melody worthy of Chris Martin, and lead-off track “Racing Lights” is filled with fine, summery hooks. The album’s ballads don’t fare quite as well, but A Time for Lions trains its focus on faster numbers, essentially serving as the arena rock foil to Centuries’ intimate, bedroom sound. – Andrew Leahey