Intriguing debut release from Australiana indie-folkers.
The debut album from Lloyd and the Leftovers (great band name, by the way) joins the recent wave of Australian-flavoured Americana. Hailing from Walyalup on the west coast, their sound leans as much towards indie-tinged folk as it does any strand of country. Opener ‘Fruit and Wine’ is the closest the record gets to a strumming singalong, while ‘Kaarta Koomba’ is as near as it comes to a rocker – though neither track quite sets the tone for what follows.
The heart of the album is more whimsical, its frequent tempo changes sometimes unsettling the flow when a little more of that early crunch might have been welcome. Lead single ‘Tried It on Tuesday’ is a case in point: “I say it with a grin, I say it with a smile / Mumble my way through it, wiping tears out of my eyes” as the singer tries to breathe new life into a fading creative relationship. The song closes with a stirringly hopeful sing-along, but nearly stumbles along the way by packing in too many ideas at once.
The ballad ‘Why Won’t You Wait’ is a highlight – lonely, emotive, and full of shifting moods as Luke Giglia-Smith moves from regret to threats to pleading, fighting against change as friends and lovers drift through the shadows of his life. By contrast, ‘Toolvest’ struggles to lift the mood: “Here I am / Once again / Scrambling around / Looking for a friend.” These songs might resonate on a cold weeknight in a small club with a few beers flowing, but at times on record they can feel under-worked – promising ideas not quite fully fleshed out.
The closer and title track ‘Spin the Wheel’ bursts out after the introspection, its rolling major chords and wheezing harmonica finally striking a brighter note. It’s the most Americana-sounding cut here, carrying an optimism that lingers: “When I get home from the North I’m gonna tell you how I feel / I’m gonna write it all down and I’ll spin the wheel.” A little more of this would have made the album a lighter listen – though perhaps that wasn’t the artistic vision. The final reflection, “I’ve been surrounded by beauty without an open eye / Can I sit beside you for the rest of the night” a more positive take on a day unfulfilled than some of the introspection beforehand.
One to watch: Lloyd and the Leftovers show plenty of promise, and by all accounts their live performances are electric. Keep an eye out for forthcoming tour dates – it’ll be fascinating to see where the vision goes next.
