Kiran Leonard is a British singer, songwriter, and musician who has toured with well known artists such as Father John Misty, Ryan Adams, Wolfmother, and Adam Green. Having an ‘unorthodox’ childhood, he gives off many feelings of displacement and being an outsider. At 13, he wrote over 100 songs in six months. Leonard has other solo recordings under his belt, but is more frequently a part of The Horses.
Grapefruit is an enjoyable album with a few flaws in it. Songs like “Exeter Services” are unique and interesting, but come off a bit too noisy at times, similar to a poorly covered Modest Mouse or Radiohead song. The vocals fluctuate to quiet and loud extremes, including and omitting emphasis on some words. The Modest Mouse and Radiohead-like influences can be very nice at times, though. In “Secret Police” and “Don’t Make Friends With Good People,” the noisy and soft opposites are preformed very well. The building of sounds and heavenly power from above in “Secret Police” around 0:55 creates a hopeful introduction to Grapefruit, but the middle of the album isn’t as dynamic.
Recommended If You Like: Modest Mouse, Radiohead, Aphex Twin
Recommended Tracks: 1 (Secret Police), 5 (Don’t Make Friends With Good People), 7 (Half-Ruined Already)
Do Not Play: None
Written by Miller Bath on 04/20/16