Ever heard of a band called Simon Says? Well, if you had, you would pick up this CD, put it in, and instantaneously think you had mistakenly bought one of their early releases. Don’t get me wrong; it isn’t the first time I’ve heard a band sound like another one. That actually seems to be the norm these days. However, where does a band draw the line? And if asked, would they ‘claim’ they didn’t know they completely ripped off someone else’s sound?
Okay, enough bitching. Let’s get down to whether or not leisure is, at least, good at what they’re doing. The answer? Well, yeah I suppose they are. The band’s five-song demo, ‘polygraph alliance‘, contains poignant feeling, intelligence, and sophistication all shrink-wrapped inside an entirely Sacramento-style, emocore package. Yes, it’s true, they are indeed from the 916 area code. (The six degrees of separation from their brethren in Simon Says just got kicked down to two.) Add in a few heavy guitar chords, solid drumbeats, and fluid, high tones in the vocals, and you’ve got yourself a decent sound. I’m leaning towards the first song on the CD, ‘beta test‘ as a favorite, if I were to choose one. The entire collection is good, severely lacks originality, but again, I digress.
I hear from reliable sources that leisure truly performs live. (They played in L.A. at the Troubadour in support of Papa Roach most recently.) I’m actually sorry I missed that show, but I am sincerely looking forward to seeing leisure the next time they come through L.A. Let’s just hope that, unless someone puts together a “Sacto-Fest”, that leisure decides against any and all possibilities of touring with Simon Says.
Lesa Pence
