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CD
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WILLK 002CD
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This is the heavily-hyped debut full-length album by the UK's The Leisure Society, who virtually have already become household names in the UK. The story of The Leisure Society began in Burton-Upon-Trent when Nick Hemming picked up a guitar and formed a band with Shane Meadows, Paddy Considine and Rich Eaton. Following a year of demos and increasingly bizarre gigs, Shane and Paddy were drawn towards careers in film, leaving Nick to pursue a life of making music. After serving time with Burton's best-known exports The Telescopes (later Unisex), Nick contributed scores to some of Shane's movies under a new moniker, The Leisure Society. Roping in the help of friends from Christian Silva's band, Nick expanded The Leisure Society into a ten-piece, and the result is The Sleeper. Track after track, The Leisure Society deliver hooks that set their work apart from so much of the current UK folk rock revival; three-part vocal harmonies are complimented by lush, restrained strings, and arrangements featuring ukulele, mandolin and banjo, are all given a warm, slick production treatment. Despite their UK roots, several more prominent American influences leap to mind; Wilco, Fleet Foxes, The Webb Brothers and Beechwood Sparks can be heard throughout the record. Album opener "Give Yourself A Fighting Chance" takes its vocal harmonies and delivery straight from Eureka-period Jim O' Rourke. Equally, you could easily imagine "Save It For Someone Who Cares" being performed by Rufus Wainwright. Elsewhere, you can hear a folkier Shins at work, as well as shades of Tim Hardin -- there's sunshine pop, folk-rock and more to be found within; it's the kind of album where each time you play it, your favorite track will change. This is warm, rustic, orchestral folk-rock at its best.
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