Legss : "Fester"

 London's Legss might get called a post-punk band, but there is little tension to what they do and more speculation than bleakness. Their most record effort opens with a more post-rock track before getting to the meat of what they do. It does have a fair jangle when they launch into "The Land Lord" but it makes me think of what Stone Roses might have sounded like if they had been into Sonic Youth. They are not shabby songwriters as they pull an impressive shift of dynamics on this song, even if it works off the loud-to-soft formula of the 90s. Vocally the struggling emotion reminds me a little of early Iceage. Half the time the vocals are spoken, and the poetry of the lyrics is the emphasis. There is a darker undercurrent to the song's more explosive moments. The catharsis is pretty tangible. 

The title track finds more effort put into actually singing though this is kept at a whispered mumble. The introspective groove they stumble across is pretty effective. If you had never heard Iceage before you might think this is original. Even if you are a fan of Iceage, which I am, you might appreciate the effort and passion they invest in what they are doing. "Sister, Brother" finds them tapping into something with more movement, as they lock into a cool guitar sound, and even manage to rock out a little among all of this. The shadowy creep of the downtrodden dance they are doing here works really well for my tastes. 

There is more atmosphere to the reverb draped "Daddy There's Sand in the Sandwiches". If the song titles are that clever, they are clearly putting some thought into what they are doing. When the tempo of the song picks up to create a climax I was not expecting, I gain even more appreciation for what they are doing. I enjoy the chaos the allows things to swirl into. The layers of vocals are a nice touch. They are always eager to add more sounds. Another piano piece closes out the album with spoken word vocals over it, to create more of an outro than a song. I will give this album a 9, it impressed me more than I anticipated, not sure how many repeat listens I will derive from this particular release, but it places this band solidly on my radar, and I will suggest it for anyone who wants something more challenging and emotional from their indie rock.