LEISURE: TWISTER Review
LEISURE provide all the twists and turns on their sophomore album TWISTER. The five-piece, “didn’t expect to be following up” their predecessor, however used the privilege as an opportunity to build a, “different dynamic”. The nimble 14-track offering is the product of “want[ing] to move forward with [their] sound to keep it interesting”.
Whilst the creation process followed the usual routine of, “hiring Airbnb’s and getting together to jam” the essence of the latest body of work sees LEISURE accepting, “risks and not being afraid”. “Twists in the sound… fresh ideas not being overthought too much”, provided the collective with an abundance of sounds and songs.
Trimming down the array of completed songs into an album format was no easy feat. “We all gravitate to our favourite songs… If after two months we still love it, that’s the decision-making process”.
Simple sounding, yet “dynamic and songs working with each other”, was calculated. “It was harder to do the track list because of [trying to] fit in songs that were darker… getting that flow right was a bit harder”.
LEISURE’s charisma bleeds through the sounds of TWISTER. With many vocals “recorded on the very first take”, the group ensure their “vibe and energy” is locked in as tightly as possible. “If we rerecord things or try and work on [them] outside the original context, it’s hard to capture the same magic”.
Album opener, ‘Feeling Free’, epitomises the “no pressure” outlook the five-piece have fostered throughout their journey to album number two. Hypnotic, groove inducing beats provide the ultimate canvas to sing about liberation and “cutting loose”.
As integral as writing trips have been in paving out “the success of [LEISURE]”, the live atmosphere has been equally as influential in carving out the group’s direction. Gaining “momentum with more shows and seeing how people react” to new arrangements has propelled the group to enter new territory.
Owing to the experience of playing live, the New Zealand collective has resisted the temptation to settle into a mellow, mid-tempo avenue. ‘Too Much of a Good Thing’ submits the group’s capacity to cultivate an exhilarating “up-tempo, dynamic” funk track.
In true boy-band fashion, the album’s lead single, ‘Man’ sees the collective combine “a cool riff, with everyone taking different bits of singing”. Captivating vocals and delicate lyricism open the floodgates for LEISURE’s aptitude as they ponder, appreciate and divulge into love.
As the group, “try to push things” and reach new limits, they accommodate for “darker moments”. Nonetheless, they juxtapose the bleakness with the quintessential LEISURE ability to, “recognise it and figure out what to do to get through it”.
The vision directly translates on ‘Easy Way Out’. The downbeat banger, built on soft vocals and savvy guitar details the “moment of going, ‘shit that was gnarly, but I’m going to keep going’”. Confronting personal conflict with affirmation is just one facet of LEISURE’s newfound unfiltered temperament.
Almost mid-way through is ‘Falling’. “A slow, deep one,” with its sensual delivery and “cruisy” sonics serves as this album’s introduction into the tamer LEISURE. The track, although more mellow overall, is a significant marker in the scheme of the album, giving a glimpse into the moodiness of ‘Ultraviolet Light’, ‘Lovers Maze’ and ‘Alone Together’.
In a “straightforward” album free of “complicated metaphors and things you have to figure out”, LEISURE strip themselves of the “mystery” they were once dripped in.
TWISTER features an unequivocal blend of funk, electro, psychedelia and indie, all “breaking barriers” of the expected. With such eclecticism, the band nurtures a sense of community, inviting listeners from all avenues to unite over the waves LEISURE makes on TWISTER.