Artist: Pete Leonard | Cover Artwork by Becca Thorne
Album: Headlights
Website: pete-leonard.co.uk
Pete Leonard has been a Creature friend and supporter for a number of years, a fellow child of the Wiltshire countryside, we have spent many mind altered nights with this charming musician. We are always intrigued and often blown away by Pete’s musical explorations and there is no change here as we delve into his new release, his first full album “Headlights”.
Displaying a mixture of influences and accomplished ability on a number of instruments this is a showcase of Pete’s musical experimentation and a modern interpretation of traditional genres and techniques. With sprinkles of Middle Eastern and Indian influences, added country twang, a folky haze and the usual heavy helping of blues influenced guitar and vocal presentation, the album displays in Pete a worldliness beyond his years.
Headlights is an eclectic mix with just the right amount of production and accompanying instrumentation. Although the influences are obvious Pete makes the music his own, both lyrically and atmospherically the songs emanate an air of Wilthsire Countryside, a charm that is very much becoming a trademark of Pete Leonard‘s musical endeavours. It is a display of inventive musicianship and experiments, some of which are perhaps still in early stages of development, Pete is only 25, rich with ideas and an insatiable appetite for musical exploration that he is happy to embrace and watch where it takes him.
Headlights is full of intriguing musical and lyrical ideas, with well projected and enigmatic vocals, intricate guitar runs and offshoots that you may only tune into on the third or fourth listen, each piece is a new journey, a collage of instruments, picking patterns, tunings and musical experimentation, very much a “wind him up and watch him go” affair.
Stay tuned in to Pete’s station, there is certainly more to come from this inspired and charismatic man and it could well be exceptional. Our favourite tracks from the album are listed below.
Creature’s favourite tracks:
Eastern Summer has a particularly haunting character juxtaposed with a chugging baseline that really draws you in to the song, the calm lead out at the end of this song is something to behold.
Way on down is a song that really could have been from a Century ago and best displays the power of Pete’s vocals. He sings of tales of pirates and ships, a well considered song.
Cat on the wall – Pete seems to be one who notices the smaller details, the things that no one else spots, the line “I see my cat sat on the wall” is a good example of simple lyrics that come across as rather profound amidst Pete‘s whirling blues picking.
Check out some tracks here: myspace/peteleonardfolk
Find out more on his website: pete-leonard.co.uk
Artwork by Creature artist Becca Thorne.
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