Leapling
Vacant Page
February 10 2015 (Exploding In Sound / Inflated Records)
8.5/10
Words: Richard O’Hagan
It has taken a couple of years for Leapling to get around to releasing their debut album, but on the whole it has been well worth the wait. ‘Vacant Page’ is the first time that Dan Arnes has recorded with the full live version of Leapling and it has made such a difference; this is a full, rounded record which showcases the abilities of Arnes and Co to the full.
It is also an interesting recording. In these days of download everything and only release a physical copy if you really need to, it often seems that little thought has been given to the actual running order of the record. That is emphatically not the case here. If anything, ‘Vacant Page’ seems to have been recorded in precisely the order in which the band would wish to play it live.
Opening track ‘Negative Space’ is short and sharp, a sparse little number until the muted vocal creeps in and brings the song to a sudden halt. From then on the entire album seems to build to a crescendo, each track seemingly progressively louder and more beguiling than the next. Midway through comes ‘Silent Stone’, with a driving refrain of "what have I been told?" that will take every listener back to the uncomfortable errors of their childhood.
Everything comes to a climax with ‘In Due Time’ where the tempo finally reaches a peak and the band seem just one step away from being out of control, and yet at the same time perfectly in control. ‘Vacant Page’ is already one of the best things you will hear this year.
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