Too many cooks spoil the musical broth in this frantic and overpowering effort
Imperial Leisure's profile picture on My Space simply features a scrawled message on a wall that declares 'Imperial Leisure are average'. Unfortunately I find it difficult to disagree. At first, their style seems promising. The opening few notes of this single are surprising because they come from a trumpet. For a band that mixes rap, ska and punk, this is a different and welcome addition to what otherwise is something that's been done time and time again.
Their sound exudes energy, which is no surprise when you learn that the band is actually a ten-piece outfit that includes a brass section, two MCs and a DJ. However, the whirlwind of their music is so relentless that is almost seems a bit rushed and overdone. It's the result of this frenetic style that leaves me cold. Chill out boys: taking time to build up to the crescendo is what makes a song interesting. 'The Landlord's Daughter' is the best of these songs, because it does just this; it changes pace and allows for the trumpet to be used to better effect. 'In A Letter', however, is a hurried and very average track that overuses the trumpet to the point where the vocals are almost drowned out. 'The Beast' is the worst track on the single. Whilst it may calm down at times, it's still the most chaotic of all the songs, and doesn't seem to have much of a melody or hook and is instantly forgettable.
I think this band probably offer much more enjoyment in a live setting. I could easily imagine drunkenly watching them live, and I'm sure they'd be a fun and exhausting set to see. However, this style doesn't translate very well to a single because of its frantic pace.