:: The Leisure Society - The Sleeper

The Leisure Society

The Leisure Society is England‘s answer to Phil Collins, except it's a band and not one man. Bringing infectious and whimsical folk-pop to our shores, the boys from the motherland are a sweet listen if nothing else. Their debut album 'The Sleeper’ is as lovely as your first love and just as innocent. Their opener ‘A Fighting Chance’ is filled with happy lyrics and backed up with a track that‘s just as sunny. The boys brighten up the tune with some quirky additions courtesy of the glockenspiel and autoharp. The glockenspiel makes another appearance in 'A Short Weekend Begins With Longing’, only this time the tune is much more subdued with a heavy electric guitar undercurrent doing most of the work. A ukulele and banjo accompaniment adds a welcome country vibe to the track. ‘Are We Happy?’ kicks things into another gear altogether with a waltzy tune that takes a dreamlike quality once the very fantastical lyrics kick in. The soft melody doesn‘t help either and could easily put you sleep. There is only one glaring problem with The Leisure Society's gallant effort and it's a pretty big one. Sure The Sleeper is quintessentially English with its smooth, laid-back pop style and non-confrontational lyrics, not to mention eclectic choice of instruments – perfect for a day at the country club. But every single track on this album sounds incredibly dated. Song after song transports you back to the '60s, but not in a quirky retro kind of way. Instead you feel like you've stumbled across one of your mum's Bay City Rollers’ albums. Every one is too clean, too neat, too sweet. Definitely only for someone who likes reminiscing about the good old days and enjoys their music without any bite.