Leatherette - ‘Fiesta’
The Italian post-punk group Leatherette have just released Fiesta, a banger of an album. They are “five shy guys who sometimes get off the stage and punch people,” and what we have here is a distinctive departure from the typical style and sound of up-and-coming bands with Leatherette’s blend of pure noise, distorted melodies, and, most intriguingly, a saxophonist among the line-up.
“Come Clean,” a rapid, lively song that is evocative of both The Stooges and Frank Zappa, serves as the opening track. The rhythm and small riffs build up a sense of anticipation and edginess, while the fuzzy vocal puckishly yells the lyrics. This song contains some excellent, tiny fills.
“So Long” has a festival-like vibe, with ear-catching guitars that are propelled by driving drumming. You would most certainly listen to this music while sipping Red Stripe. It is infectious and probably the most “pop” song on this album. I reviewed it when we first started the blog.
“Dead Well” features a slower tempo and has nods to artists from the 1980s, like The Specials. However, this is a lot heavier. It is loud and furious, while full of creative saxophone lines. It is at this point that my attention is starting to perk up… Leatherette are not a punk gimmick, but are actual musical connoisseurs…
Another song using saxophones as its centre piece is the title track, “Fiesta.” This one moves slowly and features jazzy brush percussion. Once more, this sounds like the 1980s 2 tone and ska revival with.... possibly… a nod to Bertolt Brecht:
“Cut” is a pretty beautiful song that just rides along. The song has a Doves feel to it when the punk vocal is removed. Of all the songs on this record, this is probably my favourite. Really enjoy those musical breaks:
The album shifts up a notch with “Fly Solo,” a song with Graham Coxon guitars that graze your ear and rough singing that perfectly complements them. I am detecting the ghost of The Clash in this songs DNA.
“No Way” …By this time, the styles and limits this band is spanning have me both perplexed and in awe. This song's opening is similar to a Pulp song, but without any of the "English" comedy, if that makes any sense? The melody then transforms into an enraged brute. It is lush.
“Thin Ice” has a definite funk rhythm to it in places, coupled with melodic breaks which, again, remind me of The Stooges and possibly The Blockheads. But as always, with Leatherette, we are left wondering what comes next… Rock will kick in, followed by a saxophone solo… but not in a Pink Floyd way.
The album's penultimate track is called “Play.” This song experiments with vocal effects in a way that the rest of the album does not. The stylistic development resembles Hawkwind before Lemmy. This is an energetic, brazen noise with introspective melancholy blended throughout.
“Sunbathing,” like a burst of glory, closes this album. It has a hypnotic bass line and is one that I enjoyed reviewing a few weeks back.
This record is punk and fantastic, but it also has some pretty creative jazz, funk, and rock influences. I would argue that this album exhibits a remarkable mastery of music theory and is also quite self-assured. It takes a completely different turn than one may anticipate and continuously flips between different genres, keeping you on your toes. Even if this type of music isn't typically your cup of tea, everyone should give this a listen.