Leech - The Stolen View

Given their origins and fondness for touring in Germany and its immediately neighbouring countries, few jaws will drop on learning that Leech entertain a certain amount of admiration for Krautrock. The influence of Harmonia and other more ambient pioneers of that genre is apparent throughout much of The Stolen View. The album is, however, predominantly fairly straight-up post-rock. There is only so much remaining to discover in the heavily-mined realms of that aforementioned genre, especially with so many Canadians and fellow Scots having already perfected their own formulae. Leech make a valiant effort, generally steering clear of horribly predictable bouts of grandiose delayed guitar. The infusion of kitsch synth gives this record an endearingly naïve, retro quality, which goes some way to mark Leech out with an identity of their own. They should probably try running with this characteristic, especially as it makes for many of the more memorable moments on display here.