“my pleasure in other people’s leisure” -Spud [Trainspotting]
It’s the middle of winter. We’ve got a broken stormwater pipe somewhere under the berm which means that slowly, indefatigably our driveway is being eaten by errant water. The weed lawn is long over sodden earth where stands our hillside house, and I somehow have a cold, clear afternoon to sort all this out.
The thing about getting a little older is that these become times of liberation and meditation where the job becomes automatic and your mind off its leash slow dances the cosmos as the dirt lifts and the grass dies.
Enter Leisure.
Their latest is hypnotic, ritualistic and it relies on groove-led repetition to keep it’s steam going nicely. I hear Moby, Jamiroquai, Bowie & more in Twister’s tight 50.
This isn’t groundbreaking or even a fresh take but I don’t think it’s meant to be. It’s lyrically light and there’s loads of repetition, especially in the choruses which don’t really reinforce ideas but keep the groove going.
The stand-out was Ultra Violet Light’s resurfacing pah-rup pa pum drum beat, stealing it’s spirit from Blondie’s tropical ‘The Tide is High’. UVL wouldn’t be out of place in twisted top-down puzzle shooter Hotline Miami with it’s stoned slide guitar.
Also a notable mention to Too Much of a Good Thing’s JT pitch.
The only thing that didn’t ring for me was the season. It’s relaxed summer stuff so feels odd in the middle of our darkest days. But in saying that, there was I, all smiles (and rugged up) in the midst of that most summer of activities, mowing the lawns.
Leisure’s Twister knows what it is. I don’t really hear anything new but these songs are atmospheres. It’s fucken easy to listen to.
Now what else needs doing round my winter wonderland..
