The Persian Leaps - Praise Elephants
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| The Persian Leaps - Praise Elephants |
When a band lists influences like
Teenage Fanclub, My Bloody Valentine and
Guided By Voices you know you're in for something that at least comes from a
good place, even if it doesn't go anywhere good. Luckily for Persian Leaps (and
their listeners), this EP goes to a number of good places, starting off with
the fuzzy, noise-pop of 'Hard Feelings' that morphs in to a jangly, Britpop
sounding number that is somewhere between Teenage Fanclub and Gene. 'Not That
Brave' has a beat era charm to it as well as hints of Redd Kross and some
delightful vocal harmonies to act as a counterpoint to the crunchy guitars. For
me, 'Silent Treatment' is the standout track on this collection with its
off-kilter arrangements, indie anthem melody and thumping, Glasvegas drums.
The Minnesotan (yeah, that's a
word Microsoft) combo clearly have a penchant for matching noise with melodies
and I can only propose that this would make their live shows an awful lot of
fun. The sombre jangle of 'Exponentially Devoted' has hints of the better
moments of the Smiths about it (which are few and far between in my opinion)
and final track 'Sleepless' is a slow builder but an undeniably epic indie tune
that bands like The Las, The Verve or The Lightning Seeds would have been
applauded for in the early part of their careers. In fact, apart from some of
the more summery vibes that shine out of this EP, there is a distinct flavour
of northern English and Scottish guitar music here and that can only be a good
thing (as long as they don't start listening to anything Oasis put out after
Definitely Maybe).
More information: http://thepersianleaps.com/
Listen/Download: http://thepersianleaps.bandcamp.com/album/praise-elephants
Live Dates:
27th September - Cause Spirits & Soundbar, Minneapolis
(w/Flavor Crystals + The Bombay Sweets)
29th October - Cause Spirits & Soundbar, Minneapolis
23rd October - Cause Spirits & Soundbar, Minneapolis