EP Review: The Persian Leaps – Drive Drive Delay
2 min read
Despite its dazzling heights, 2014 will forever be marked for me by the trauma of the Guided By Voices breakup. The band that essentially changed my life imploded this year, leaving me feeling as though I had been surreptitiously dumped.
Enter The Persian Leaps, a band that sounds a great deal like the one that broke up with each other – and, by extension, poor, whiny me – this year. And although I might not be ready to commit so soon, with their five song EP Drive Drive Delay The Persian Leaps are a band I would have no qualms taking on a first date.
EP opener Fire Starter contains just the right balance of upbeat poppy hooks and lo-fi enthusiast pleasing fuzz. It’s a song that warrants playing loud, and on repeat: lead singer Drew Forsberg has an unassuming yet immediately welcoming voice, and the song’s chorus embeds itself in your head as soon as it snakes its way from his lips.
It is Pretty Boy, however, that steals the show. Tremendously enjoyable, the song benefits from perfectly crafted vocals, both lead and backup. Goodbye To South Carolina works in a different way – whereas the joy of Pretty Boy comes from its simplicity, Goodbye‘s strength is its tonal and emotionally complexity. It’s distinctly evocative stuff.
Truth = Consequences is a punchy, effective number, with an ear-catching guitar hook placed front and centre. Closing proceedings on a high is Permission – not only does it boast Forsberg’s most impressive lyrics, its touchingly haunting strains promise very great things to come from this band. These are musicians who have style and skill in droves, and although their inspirations are obvious, they have enough energy and intelligence to craft a space that is entirely their own.
In short: The Persian Leaps are the new girlfriend come to coax me out of my dimly lit room and make me see the world again. Make no mistake, with Drive Drive Delay The Persian Leaps are already shaping up to be marriage material.
