Leisure Sport: Title Card – EP Review

Leisure Sport: Title Card

Self-Released

Out Now

DL/Stream

Leisure Sport’s debut 5 track EP is an dazzling blend of 90’s indie guitar bands and power pop. A perfect summer soundtrack for sitting in the sun with a glass of wine or a cold beer and contemplating the beauty around you.

The vocals are divine. With Dana DiGennaro taking the lead in the majority of the songs, and Kyle Balkin providing her perfect foil. Often, like in Stones, the vocals are shared between the two, coming together in perfect harmony with each other. There is nothing not to love about this EP. The five tracks are bursting with a stirring and elevating energy, even if at times, the lyrics may suggest a more melancholic mood.

Crunching Fuzzy Guitar

The EP bursts into life with the crashing cymbals and crunching fuzzy guitar on Tennessee before Dana’s angelic vocal breaks through the crunching noise. The song soars, layering instruments, rising and falling in sonic waves, washing over you and leaving you with a sense of settled ease. Zero Sum has more of a sense of melancholy, a bit like Sebadoh crossed with Twilight Sad (but without the Scottish accents). But as the energy rises it brings a sense “fuck you” when Kyle sings “I don’t care what you say about me now” and “take all the ugly things you left behind”.

The joint vocals of Stones backed by sinewy riffs and pounding drums is a uproarious treat to the eardrums before Lost and Found brings things down a notch again Dana singing “can you feel me, my hands are weak” over a delicately plucked jangly guitar. Chunky power pop riffs build as the song reaches its apex.

Perfect Summertime Vibes

Kyle takes the lead vocal on closing song, Images, from which the EP takes its title. If I take the Sebadoh reference from earlier, there are Dinosaur Jr like riffs at the outset of this one and running through the song, and in closing the EP Leisure Sport create an epic sounding adrenaline rush of clattering sonorous instruments.

A perfect mix of reflective melancholy and plenty of uplifting hooks and riffs to make you raise two fingers to your worries. Let the music wash over you in the bright summer sunshine. Perfect summertime vibes.

Leisure Sport – Bandcamp – Facebook – Streaming links

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All words by Neil Hodge. More writing by Neil on Louder Than War can be found at his author’s archive. You can also find Neil online at his blog thegingerquiff.