May 31, 2008

Leopold and his Fiction - Self-Titled (Native Fiction Records, 2006)

I am somehwat behind the curve in discovering Leopold and his Fiction - a group whose sound, much like their name, belies the fact that there are only two people in the band (Editor's note: As with gangs, a band of two is the smallest band possible).
Leopold and his Fiction's music is a very cool blend of country and blues inflected rock'n'roll, that harks back to a time when life was a little bit simpler, though no less hard. The opening track, She Ain't Got Time, is a thick slice of Nuggets-era garage rock, while Shakey Mama Blues sounds something like the Strokes crossed with a heavy dose of Robert Johnson and Howlin' Wolf.
Be Still refines the bands sonic attack somewhat, allowing the strength of the songwriting to shine through, while Miss Manipulation, with its plaintive slide guitar and melancholy feel, is a quiet case study on how members of the fairer sex are able to bend we mortal males to their will.
Leopold and his Fiction have not set out to re-invent the wheel with this, their debut album. They have, however, filtered generations of American music through guitar, drums, and microphone into a sound that is all their own; and a mighty fine sound at that.

Check Out: www.myspace.com/leopoldandhisfiction