Delivering psychedelic sounds vibing off the flower-power Beatles era, the alternative rock outfit from Cardiff, UK, Some Kind of Leader‘s recent self-titled EP offers four independently grooving tracks, yet collectively presents itself as a cluster of misfits coinciding into one motley little package.
The opening track, “Punk God!,” is a catchy indie jam that boasts a gritty energy with heavily reverb-driven guitars and echoing harmonies, as lead vocalist Ali Price sings “she said she’s punk rocker, to me she’s punk god,” fixedly praising the rocker he speaks of. If each track following possessed as much punch and stylistic cohesion, the EP would deliver fluidly, however, the solidarity seems to derail quickly after with track “Paperboy Bag,” which seeps deepest into the hazy, almost trippy territory, featuring the best of Price’s diverse vocal range, as he obsessively declares “I need the paperboy bag” in various ways throughout the entire duration of the song. Just as the vocal harmonies really get cruising, the song jerks to an abrupt end mid-beat, almost perplexedly posed as the lyrics to the song themselves.
“Purple Goblin” serves listeners smooth-rolling funk as the instrumentals jive over top of each other in mellow rhythm, while closing track “More Chicken” features somber acoustics, yet at its core is just a silly track, stretching for as many words possible that just barely pass as rhymes with “chicken” and “protein.” Unfortunately, however, it is yet another track that sort of just trails off, dissolving to an inconclusive end.
The most common likeness throughout the EP is the obsessive lyrical fixation on the main subject of each track, with “Punk God!” leading the pack as the strongest both melodically and production wise. While the cheeky, laughable lyrics are entertaining at best and the melodies flow well individually, the off-beat, quirky vibe of the album, which alone may be charming, perhaps needs just a tad more organization in their next release if they want to reach a broader audience.
