I was blown away when I first heard a single from Melbourne trio Leisure Suite earlier this year, and they’ve finally unleashed their full four-track EP on the world. I love it, and took absolute pleasure in listening to it a few times over – I highly recommend these guys to anyone, and have a feeling we’re going to be seeing a lot more of them in the future.
First up is Great Expectation. Plucky guitar and a smooth beat set the tone. The gorgeous vocals kick in and the atmosphere takes on a breezy lounge vibe. It’s so easy to get swept away in Leisure Suite’s mesmerising tones. Recent single Ease Away is up next. A sultry, down-tempo track, there’s something so stunning about the way that each layer has been constructed to fit together so perfectly. A sublime soundscape begins to form, created by a perfect balance between watery beats and a low bass, with crystalline vocals and intermittent, yet divine harmonies. Haze brings on a more tropical vibe, with plucky melodies, snappy beats and sweeping synth chords. The vocals omit the same R&B-lounge vibe as previous tracks, surpassing the swifter beats and topping it off with a smooth, oh-so-sweet breathiness. Final track Falling Under brings us right back down again, and is probably my favourite of the four. It employs sparseness to a great degree, knowing exactly when deliberate space between each sound can be used to add strength and power to the vocals or the beat. Angelic synths complement the vocals, while the syncopated rhythms are deep, subtle and so emotionally on point. The rhythm and synths really build up to a climax toward the end, ending the EP as beautifully as it began.
This is a really gorgeous EP from the Melbourne four-piece, and I look forward to seeing what’s to come in their future. My main criticism is that each melody was fairly samey – I loved that each track had a totally different beat and that the backing instruments played such different roles. The vocals (absolutely breathtaking as they were,) seemed to maintain a single style the whole way through though, and I feel like they could have been more responsive to the varying instrumentation.
That being said, it’s important for an upcoming group to establish an identifiable sound, and it’s also best to show off your best assets –it only takes a few moments to figure out that these vocals are pretty unparalleled. Not only do they traipse so delicately around each melody, but they maintain a fine balance between deep strength and a dulcet tone – and that deserves to be flaunted.
If you’re lucky enough to be in Melbourne on Nov 15, catch Leisure Suite at their EP launch at Boney, without support from Lanks, Habits and Rat & Co DJs.
Originally posted to Scenewave.com