Whether we publicly admit it or not, every music writer eventually gets to the point where slogging through song after song, by band after band gets a bit banal. This is not to say that all the music sounds the same or that there is a dearth of talent, especially when we’re talking about C-U bands. It’s just that even the most ardent music lover needs a chance to breathe every once in a while. Lucky for me, newcomer The Leadership’s debut album Frontiers just about forces the air into my lungs.
On Frontiers, The Leadership don’t try to reinvent the wheel. Their influences are fairly easy to pin down — think big seventies guitar crunch mixed with a slightly bluesier Uncle Tupelo. But it hardly matters because of the way the band just goes for it, leaving little room to even bother with the past. Though it was released in the middle of winter, this is most decidedly not a “headphones” album. Instead, Frontiers demands to be played on a sunny summer day down a two-lane highway with the windows down and the stereo cranked.
“Keep the Change” is the perfect opener with a shuffling drum beat that builds just enough shamble before the hammer drops in the big chorus. Next comes the one, two rock stomp of “Thank You” and “Little Black Book,” which stop just short of making the speakers sweat. All three songs serve as a showcase for the band’s strongest elements — blustering hooks, Jonathon Childer’s gruff yet evocative vocals and drums with surprising swing. “Bring It Back (to the Beginning)” finishes off the first half by opening up the band’s sound to a slow builder, and hints at a more nuanced approach to songwriting.
“Cocaine” is a hard charging song that has been featured on a couple of noteworthy blogs. The jangling guitar line conjures up a dark, but invigorating take on The Strokes or early Kings of Leon. But it also highlights my biggest hesitation with the band — the lyrics. “Cause I need to do some lines to help me clean up my life” is either a clarion call to embrace the power of blow or a humorous tale about taking on housework by smoking crack. Throughout the album, the lyrics sometimes feel like an afterthought, and in “Cocaine” especially, it’s hard to know how seriously we should be taking them.
I’m not sure if this counts as an LP or EP, but eight songs is a nice length for The Leadership’s debut. However, the tracking could have been more varied. On both halves of the album, there are three up-tempo songs followed by one slow song. This makes the second half feel more repetitive than it should. I suppose this is small potatoes though, especially since the listener can always create a personal playlist in the age of iTunes.
Overall, Frontiers is a propulsive good time from a band that appears to spend little time sweating the small stuff. We’d all be wise to heed their call — sometimes it’s best to take a deep breath and enjoy the ride.
Frontiers is currently available on The Leadership’s bandcamp page at a pay what you want rate. I also saw a couple of copies sitting on the counter at Exile, seemingly for free.