Leafblower: "Burn Cruise"

It seems fitting, given the band's name, that I should publish this on 4/20. This kind of sludged-out doom has been prevalent since the mid-2000s with bands like Mastodon rising to mainstream success, this raises the question, what are these guys are bringing to the table that the other bands are not? The first song does not offer a straight answer, though the guitar melodies are more notable. It's not until the frantic psych-rock of "Namaste Home" that they set themselves apart from the pack. They go into a more shuffling rock boogie for "Burn Cruise" that flirts a little more with stoner rock.  

The strained yet plaintive vocals are a nice change of pace from the same old bellow most of these bands are doing, yet these guys are less committed to metal than their peers. This leans in their favor rather than against them. They get kind of jammy for "Reverse Upward Spiral' which might be fun live, but on album is less song-focused, and a little more indulgent, though it works for what it is."Unsatisfied' is the first metal song on the album, the vocals are more barked, which have only been in the background up til this point. "Ghosts' finds them wandering around another rock jam. This time, the vocals are more involved, and it feels like they have dived into some albums from the 70s for inspiration. 

Things get a little murky when we get to 'Night Sweat." It feels like they had this riff and were trying to figure out where they take it, so they try evey option throughout this song. The last track is more of an outro than an actual song.I will give this an 8.5, I like the organic jammy direction they are going in, which seems like it would be fun live. It drops June 13th on Max Trax Records.

   

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