Drone Etiquette
Land Ski, 2021
9/10
The St. Paul, Minnesota outfit The Persian Leaps has also been spearheaded by the singer and multi-instrumentalist Drew Forsberg, so it only made sense that with the struggles of making an album during Covid, he just record Drone Etiquette entirely on his own.
The EP leads with the thick guitar work of the power-pop influenced “When This Gets Out”, where a bright energy radiates via the punchy drumming and crisp melodies, and “Angel Complete” follows with a ‘90s college rock appeal that’s got a charming jangle to it.
In the middle, “Sweeps” rocks a bit more firmly, as alt-rock ideas enter the retro-punk moments, while “Over The Under” mixes both dreamy moments and thumping rock that would make Morrissey and Marr proud.
“The Company She Keeps” and “Keep Smiling” exit the listen, where the former emits a charming, ‘80s punk-lite sound that’s immediately memorable, and the latter uses acoustic guitar and some of the best singing in the emotive and meticulous finish.
The list of bands that you might say The Persian Leaps resembles is a lengthy and esteemed one, including Teenage Fanclub, The Smiths or even R.E.M., and Forsberg’s song craft makes a similar impact that’s part modern indie-rock, and part nostalgic modern rock while flirting with punk, New Wave and pop in all the best ways.
The Persian Leaps have built an impressive catalog of releases, and these 6 tunes are yet another installment of some of the best music being made today in the independent music scene.
Travels well with: Swerve- Ruin Your Day; Richard X. Heyman- Copious Notes