Greenleaf :'The Head & the Habit"

 

This might be the Swedish band's 9th album, but it is the first time I have given them a listen. The opening track works off a grooving almost prog boogie, like a more relaxed version of Clutch, though the singer reminds me of Ian Anderson from Jethro Tull.  He has a mellowed-out folkish croon. Comparisons in this regard could be made to Queens of the Stoneage. The drummer is excellent as he keeps the song in constant motion. There is a similar feel to the second song which moves at a similar tempo with the syncopation of the vocals being the largest thing that sets it apart. 

Though the singer is the strongest element of the band as he picks melodies that stand out, the band overall has one mode of rocking out that begins to take on a uniform feel by the time we get to 'Different Horses" and I begin to get eager for them to start switching things us a little more dynamically. They feel less like a stoner rock band and more just like 70s rock to me, "A Wolf In My Mind" opens with a little harder drive before they let the shadows simmer making it one of the album's strongest songs so far. "That Obsidian Grin" is bluesy, and sounds a little like the Doors. Though it feels more like an interlude. "The Sirens Sound" is back to the more upbeat rock sound which is more middle road, and less uncommon. They sound more like they are doing their own thing when exploring other sonic places than this. 

They are back in blues rock mode on "Oh Dandelion" which I think I prefer over the more Queens of the Stoneage-like moments as it's soulful, and in that sound, you can hear who they are a little better. Midway into the song the jam takes them into more interesting places. It gets darker and feels heavier, though they are still not a metal band. At over eight minutes "The Tricking Tree" has plenty of time to jam you out into somewhere more interesting. There is the Doors feel combined with more of a prog rock mood with the winding riffs. It ends up going off into a guitar solo, which works well enough. The last song is just under two and a half minutes so in comparison it feels more like an idea of a song that they were fucking around with. I will give this album an 8.5, they are good at what they do and have strong moments, but the songs do not hook me in, if you  are into their previous 7 albums then this one is going to work for you as well. 

pst440