Jared Lekites “Looking For Diamonds”
The impressive Beatlesque opener “Love That Lasts” lead by singer /guitarist Jared Lekites comes out and grabs you right away. The follow up is a folksy “Looking For A Diamond” which is made for a late night campfire, complete with handclaps and harmonica solo. Although his style is the familiar retro strums and harmonies, it’s all well written and constructed. “Electric Car Ballet” bounces along and ends with a gorgeous ascending harmonic, and you have your first “must own” track for the stereo in your new Nissan Leaf. It gets a bit Buffalo Spingfield-ish with the moody “Unrequited Love Song” and ending track “Let Your Hair Down Once In A While.” This EP fits in your playlist like a comfortable pair of jeans. Fans of The Beatles, Hollies, Beach Boys and James Taylor will surely love it. So Jared, give us more next time! Excellent debut, what else can I say?
Leo London “s/t”
Is Oregon native Leo London the next big power pop wunderkind? Similar to Jason Falkner in deep multitracked delivery and melodic approach that evokes both Bryan Scary and Conor Oberst. The slam of piano keys greets you on the opener “I Don’t Know” with honest desperation and a vaudevillian melody. The shuffling rhythm of “Caroline” is just as strong, sung with casual spite about “unravelling” a relationship experience from his memory. The slower songs are also pretty good, the best of the which “Ashes and Wax” tell a strong story and a wonderful baroque harpsichord break occurs midway into the song. The philosophical “Little Girl” is like a David Mead acoustic guitar-based tune that’s rich in imagery and simplicity. “The Single” is a defiant rant that approaches manic proportions, a performance that Ziggy Stardust would approve.”Dial Tone” has the overly dramatic composition and sonic textures in parts can sometimes recall Robert Pollard’s experiments. This is great stuff, highly original and melodic that should earn many fans.