|
We’re kind of confused. We can’t decide whether it’s
us that’s indecisive and slightly fickle or that
Leaves really don’t settle and never actually become
anything much really. We had thought we’d got these
Icelandic song-men all worked out from their beautiful
debut single, the heartbreaking lullaby ‘Breathe’,
and it’s painfully slight tinkering massage down the
receptors in your spine. It was a little Coldplay,
but more, that much more atmospheric, so maybe a little
Sigur Ros too. Forthcoming single ‘Race’
may have thrown the scent a little, making like Haven
do when the wind picks up from a mere breeze, making
like it just wants to be more blatant. Which is fine
too, because the delicacy remains.
So arriving on stage to the hum of feedback with a determined
gait to their slightly cautious stride and we’re nervously
waiting for a shock. But the feedback isn’t quite feedback,
it’s not that offensive, it hangs around in the air
hinting at a mild discomfort but won’t go all the way
there. It’s still, well, nice – and that shock doesn’t
come. Shame. But neither do they sink back down to that
untainted innocence that they oozed when we first heard
the CD, even when they get to the single. It’s still
achingly slender (only ruined by the clattering chatter
of Coral fans) but the delivery really marks Amar
Gudjonsson out as something as obvious as An Indie
Singer – that general nonchalance rising up to wide-mouthed
gusto, head cocked to the side, beads of sweat adhering
floppy fringe to forehead.
But for all the comparisons this might draw fleetingly
to The Divine Comedy and Gene particularly,
they don’t stick at it. Acoustic muses one moment, before
we know it a raw flash of guitar and droll vocal sees
them making like Mansun doing The Soundtrack
Of Our Lives (which maybe explains the keyboardist’s
beard). Only they don’t throttle that for too long either
before stepping back again, then throwing in a transitory
Radiohead wild card. Then there’s guitar lines
that stop just short of becoming solos. Though this
is certainly a good thing. And with influences, you
can’t avoid Coldplay (the gentle backing woven
by gentle distortion), but the ebbing away from that
doesn’t help. Then Sigur Ros (the building from
nothing to everything) is there, but you wouldn’t call
it an influence, you just know they’ve got the CD at
home. Then the rock. Argh, we don’t know, but we do
know that there are some powerful songs just waiting
to be sung back at them. So we scarper before headliners
The Coral ruin the contemplative cloud we’re
on. More dates:
May Thursday 2nd London, Water Rats
Friday 3rd Manchester Academy
Saturday 4th Wolverhamptun Wulfrun Hall
Sunday 5th Essential Music Festival
Tuesday 7th Portsmouth Pyramid
Thursday 9th London Forum
Friday 10th Liverpool University
Saturday 11th Sheffield Leadmill
Sunday 12th Edinburgh La Belle Angel
Tuesday 14th Newport TJ's
Wednesday 15th Brighton Concorde
Thursday 16th London Astoria
James Berry for Crud Magazine© 2002 
 |
|
| 04/02 1 Giant Leap - My Culture
04/02 Elfpower Interview - Andrew Rieger - Creatures
04/02 Frou Frou Interview - Guy Sigsworth/Imogen Heap
04/02 Gomez Interview - Ian Ball
04/02 Idlewild - Live - London Astoria
04/02 K's Choice Interview
04/02 Leaves - Live - Camden Dingwall
04/02 Longwave Interview - Exit
04/02 Lucy Mongrel Interview
04/02 Oasis - The Hindu Times
04/02 Phantom Planet - Interview
04/02 Unwritten Law - Interview
04/02 VUE - Coordinates Interview
05/02 BRMC - LIve - Kentish Town, London
05/02 Breeders - Title K
05/02 FC Kahuna - Machine Says Yes
05/02 Moco - Live - London Monarch
05/02 Need New Body - Interview
05/02 The Soundtrack of Our Lives - Live - Soundhause, Northampton
05/02 The Bellrays - Meet The Bellrays
06/02 Fleadh Festival - Finsbury Park
06/02 Frou Frou Coordinates Interview
06/02 Incubus - Interview - Mark Einziger
06/02 North Mississippi Allstars - Interview
06/02 Papa Roach - She Loves Me Not
06/02 Proud Mary - Live - Northampton, Soundhaus
06/02 Pulp - Live - Sherwood Pines, Edwinstowe
06/02 Reindeer section - You Are My Joy
06/02 Silverchair - Diorama
|  | 06/02 Something Corporate - Leaving Through The Window
06/02 Soinc Youth - Interview
06/02 The Burn - The Smiling Face
06/02 The Coral - Live - Roadmender, Northampton
06/02 The LIbertines - Live - The Social, Nottingham
06/02 The Vines, Sheffield Leadmill
06/02 Trik Turner - Interview
06/02 Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Live, Soundhaus, Northampton
07/02 12 Stones Interview
07/02 Arolo -Interview
07/02 Buy To Let Doncaster - Anti Social Behaviour
07/02 Cassius - Interview
07/02 Farrah - Interview
07/02 Glassjaw - Interview
07/02 Neil Michael Haggerty - Interview
07/02 Hoobastank - Running Away
07/02 Leaves - Interview
07/02 LL Cool Jay Interview
07/02 Oasis - Live - Finsbury Park, London
07/02 Polyphonic Spree - Live - Camden Monarch
07/02 Queens of the Stone Age - Songs For The Deaf
07/02 Super Furry Animals - Interview
07/02 The Beatings - Live - Metro Club London
07/02 The Bellrays + The D4 - Virgin Megastore, Oxford Street London
January 2001
July - August 2001
September - October 2001
November - December 2001
January - March 2002
April - July 2002
August - December 2002 | |
| |
