| The Leisure Society |
| The Fine Art Of Hanging On |
The Leisure Society — The Fine Art Of Hanging On Location: London/Burton/Brighton, UK
Album release: 13 April 2015
Record Label: Full Time Hobby
Duration: 48:10
Tracks:
01. The Fine Art Of Hanging On 3:22
02. Nothing Like This 2:44
03. Tall Black Cabins 3:04
04. The Undefeated Ego 2:58
05. Outside In 2:41
06. I'm A Setting Sun 4:25
07. You Are What You Take 4:17
08. You’ll Never Know When It Breaks 3:50
09. All Is Now 5:59
10. Wide Eyes At Villains 5:47
11. As The Shadows Form 2:32
12. We’ll Be Together Again (Bonus Track) 2:36
13. White Trashed (Bonus Track) 3:55
℗ 2015 The Leisure Society under exclusive license to Full Time Hobby
The Leisure Society: The Fine Art of Hanging On review — chunky guitars meet loneliness and mortality
Tshepo Mokoena,
Thursday 9 April 2015 23.15 BST; Score: ***
° In the place where Ennio Morricone–style whipcracks and Jethro Tull flute lines meet, you’ll find the Leisure Society’s fourth album. This indie–folk band, fronted by guitarist Nick Hemming and piano–playing co–vocalist Christian Hardy, have inadvertently made a concept album inspired by the death of one of Hemming’s friends from cancer. While an upbeat piano hook anchors Nothing Like This and I’m a Setting Sun relies on chunky guitar riffs and peppy horns, the lyrics deal primarily with loneliness and mortality: on Outside In, Hemming sings, “In your heart you know you’re worth/More than you were ever told,” over a paradoxically chirpy melody. The Fine Art of Hanging On is another capably written set, but turns its back on the band’s pared–down folk roots in favour of baroque–pop arrangements that reach for the heights of Rufus Wainwright and Illinoise–era Sufjan Stevens, but don’t always hit the mark. ° http://www.theguardian.com/
Review
Stevie Pearce • 13 April 2015
° When a band like The Leisure Society releases their fourth album, there’s bound to be slight trepidation. After being lauded by critics for their first three releases and being counted among Brian Eno and Ray Davies favourite bands, there’s a lot of pressure to keep it up. The question lingers: can they do it again?
° The album springs brightly to life with the synth–driven title track, but frontman Nick Hemming juxtaposes gloom–soaked vocals for the band’s trademark sound. ‘Nothing Like This’ feels restrained, until it’s decorated with airy flute, expertly applied. The track expands with well–crafted piano and bass. ‘You’ll Never Know When it Breaks’ is stunning, with delicate guitar and echoed vocals creating a sparse, haunted intro and ending with the gorgeous sentiment “…we decided/To be artless and happy”.
° The Fine Art of Hanging On starts on a high, with multi–layered instruments and lighter vocals and slows circling to a stripped back ending. There’s a clear progression from 2013’s Alone Aboard The Ark, and the synth and drum machines introduced in album three are out in force in number four. Those longing for acoustic Leisure Society will be satisfied by the understated ‘You Are What You Take’ and acoustic guitar–driven final track ‘As the Shadows Form’, which harks back to the band’s earliest days. Another solid showing. ° http://www.forfolkssake.com/
Also:
BY JANNE OINONEN, 08 APRIL 2015, 11:30 BST • SCORE: 8/10
° http://www.thelineofbestfit.com/
Tumblr: http://the-leisure-society.tumblr.com/
Label: http://fulltimehobby.sandbaghq.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theleisuresociety
Press: or
Agent:
Pict: Paradoxically chirpy … the Leisure Society. Photograph: Paul Heartfield
Discography:
° The Sleeper (2009)
° Into The Murky Water (2011) (UK chart peak #75)
° Alone Aboard the Ark (2013) (UK chart peak #71)
° The Fine Art of Hanging On (2015)
NICK HEMMING
° Nicholas ‘Nick’ Hemming (born 17 April 1973) is a British musician and guitarist. He was formerly of early 1990s indie band She Talks To Angels, is a key musician in the Willkommen Collective, and is currently the lead singer for The Leisure Society. Hemming also plays banjo and mandolin with Sons of Noel and Adrian and with Shoreline.
° Hemming wrote and performed music for the films A Room for Romeo Brass (1999) and Dead Man’s Shoes (2004).
° He penned The Leisure Society’s debut single "The Last Of The Melting Snow", receiving huge critical and public acclaim and extensive radio play on Zane Lowe's Radio 1 show, Marc Riley’s BBC 6 Music show, Lauren Laverne’s 6 Music show and Mark Radcliffe and Stuart Maconie’s Radio 2 show, where they were voted ‘Record of the Week’ by listeners, with a record 90% of the vote. The track has also been championed by Elbow frontman Guy Garvey, who named it his favourite song of 2008. The song was nominated for an Ivor Novello award.
° Hemming also plays with The Climbers, alongside The Leisure Society’s Christian Hardy and their childhood friend Tim West, and co–wrote some songs on their debut album The Good Ship, released in May 2010.
_____________________________________________________________
| The Leisure Society |
| The Fine Art Of Hanging On |
Album release: 13 April 2015
Record Label: Full Time Hobby
Duration: 48:10
Tracks:
01. The Fine Art Of Hanging On 3:22
02. Nothing Like This 2:44
03. Tall Black Cabins 3:04
04. The Undefeated Ego 2:58
05. Outside In 2:41
06. I'm A Setting Sun 4:25
07. You Are What You Take 4:17
08. You’ll Never Know When It Breaks 3:50
09. All Is Now 5:59
10. Wide Eyes At Villains 5:47
11. As The Shadows Form 2:32
12. We’ll Be Together Again (Bonus Track) 2:36
13. White Trashed (Bonus Track) 3:55
℗ 2015 The Leisure Society under exclusive license to Full Time Hobby
The Leisure Society: The Fine Art of Hanging On review — chunky guitars meet loneliness and mortality
Tshepo Mokoena,
Thursday 9 April 2015 23.15 BST; Score: ***
° In the place where Ennio Morricone–style whipcracks and Jethro Tull flute lines meet, you’ll find the Leisure Society’s fourth album. This indie–folk band, fronted by guitarist Nick Hemming and piano–playing co–vocalist Christian Hardy, have inadvertently made a concept album inspired by the death of one of Hemming’s friends from cancer. While an upbeat piano hook anchors Nothing Like This and I’m a Setting Sun relies on chunky guitar riffs and peppy horns, the lyrics deal primarily with loneliness and mortality: on Outside In, Hemming sings, “In your heart you know you’re worth/More than you were ever told,” over a paradoxically chirpy melody. The Fine Art of Hanging On is another capably written set, but turns its back on the band’s pared–down folk roots in favour of baroque–pop arrangements that reach for the heights of Rufus Wainwright and Illinoise–era Sufjan Stevens, but don’t always hit the mark. ° http://www.theguardian.com/
Review
Stevie Pearce • 13 April 2015
° When a band like The Leisure Society releases their fourth album, there’s bound to be slight trepidation. After being lauded by critics for their first three releases and being counted among Brian Eno and Ray Davies favourite bands, there’s a lot of pressure to keep it up. The question lingers: can they do it again?
° The album springs brightly to life with the synth–driven title track, but frontman Nick Hemming juxtaposes gloom–soaked vocals for the band’s trademark sound. ‘Nothing Like This’ feels restrained, until it’s decorated with airy flute, expertly applied. The track expands with well–crafted piano and bass. ‘You’ll Never Know When it Breaks’ is stunning, with delicate guitar and echoed vocals creating a sparse, haunted intro and ending with the gorgeous sentiment “…we decided/To be artless and happy”.
° The Fine Art of Hanging On starts on a high, with multi–layered instruments and lighter vocals and slows circling to a stripped back ending. There’s a clear progression from 2013’s Alone Aboard The Ark, and the synth and drum machines introduced in album three are out in force in number four. Those longing for acoustic Leisure Society will be satisfied by the understated ‘You Are What You Take’ and acoustic guitar–driven final track ‘As the Shadows Form’, which harks back to the band’s earliest days. Another solid showing. ° http://www.forfolkssake.com/
Also:
BY JANNE OINONEN, 08 APRIL 2015, 11:30 BST • SCORE: 8/10
° http://www.thelineofbestfit.com/
Tumblr: http://the-leisure-society.tumblr.com/
Label: http://fulltimehobby.sandbaghq.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theleisuresociety
Press: or
Agent:
Pict: Paradoxically chirpy … the Leisure Society. Photograph: Paul Heartfield
Discography:
° The Sleeper (2009)
° Into The Murky Water (2011) (UK chart peak #75)
° Alone Aboard the Ark (2013) (UK chart peak #71)
° The Fine Art of Hanging On (2015)
NICK HEMMING
° Nicholas ‘Nick’ Hemming (born 17 April 1973) is a British musician and guitarist. He was formerly of early 1990s indie band She Talks To Angels, is a key musician in the Willkommen Collective, and is currently the lead singer for The Leisure Society. Hemming also plays banjo and mandolin with Sons of Noel and Adrian and with Shoreline.
° Hemming wrote and performed music for the films A Room for Romeo Brass (1999) and Dead Man’s Shoes (2004).
° He penned The Leisure Society’s debut single "The Last Of The Melting Snow", receiving huge critical and public acclaim and extensive radio play on Zane Lowe's Radio 1 show, Marc Riley’s BBC 6 Music show, Lauren Laverne’s 6 Music show and Mark Radcliffe and Stuart Maconie’s Radio 2 show, where they were voted ‘Record of the Week’ by listeners, with a record 90% of the vote. The track has also been championed by Elbow frontman Guy Garvey, who named it his favourite song of 2008. The song was nominated for an Ivor Novello award.
° Hemming also plays with The Climbers, alongside The Leisure Society’s Christian Hardy and their childhood friend Tim West, and co–wrote some songs on their debut album The Good Ship, released in May 2010.
_____________________________________________________________