Neil Leyton: Dead Fashion Brigade EP
With a humanist philosophy and militantly independent political stance, Neil Leyton is a bit of a force to be reckoned with it seems and gives him a bit of a more lively persona that stands out against the bland rent-a-musician figures that have come to dominate the rock scene of late. It's a shame then that he feels the need in his music to further try to make himself stand out.
This new EP, produced by Ginger (Wildhearts' main man) is a collection of 7 songs, 4 remixed and 2 brand new, that show a darkly enigmatic personality but one that is trying too hard to be distinctive. The primary problem is that it feels like a release of two halves and one of those halves should just be trashed. The first 3 songs are high octane punk rock pieces which in terms of guitar riffs and bass lines are superb but they're ruined by his vocals which to be honest just sound like bad karaoke. If he were the drunken guy who was up there singing his heart out he'd be laughed off stage. It feels strained, whiny and is very harsh on the ears. In comparison to the last half of the EP it feels totally unnatural and at points is a bit of a fingers down a chalkboard kind of deal.
The contrast then to tracks such as 'Maryland' almost beggars belief. Jeff Buckley comparisons are inevitable because of the pure haunting beauty that comes across. You end up asking yourself if this could possibly be the same guy. If the other tracks had been like this we'd have a release on our hands that could have been called the next 'Grace' but as it is no matter how good these slower songs are you always remember the pretty awful earlier stuff which is like a linger bad taste that you can't get rid of.
This laid back acoustic style is powerful music and if he carries on developing that it'll be exciting to see what further offerings are like. The punkier rock element just doesn't feel right but perhaps if he manages to find a compromise to get his vocals onto a more natural level then it could all work out. Either way the connection to such a big name in rock will ensure that his grassroots fan base will only continue to grow and develop and I for one will keep an eye out for his more acoustic work as it really is shiver down the spine stuff.