EP Review: Ledaswan

By: Mozzer | in: Music |

Ledaswan

Formed in 2004, Ledaswan is a fledgling San Antonio-based group who’ve recently released their 2nd EP. The new 7-song EP, Verse of Truth, Trash, and Beauty, is a gentle blend of The Cure and Trespassers William.

Lead vocalist Erica Gutierrez sounds like Hope Sandoval and, to a lesser degree, Alison Shaw. Guitarists Jaime Monzon, David Monzon and bassist/keyboardist Amanda Flores are essentially the Ledeswan sound, and are adept in creating a layered, atmospheric soundscape. Though he seems relegated to the background, drummer Delrick Colwell supports the group well while adding his own element of rhythmic style.

Most of he songs dwell in the sleepy, guitar-driven realm of reflection. But there are a couple of uptempo numbers to break the dour mood. “How to Rearrange the World in 7 Days” opens with fast, cure-esque guitars that soon slows down to brood. “Closure” is slow and relaxing and reminiscent of a Trespassers William number — easily my favorite track on this release. The highlight of the EP has the band paying tribute to one of their influences, The Jesus and Mary Chain, with a great rendition of “Head On”. Gutierrez’s vocals tends to veer a little sharp in places, but I’m sure that’ll get ironed out in time. The group’s strongest point are the atmospherics; it’s always melodic, layered, and with a hint of 90’s alt-rock.

Ledaswan

All in all, Verse of Truth, Trash, and Beauty is a nice release that shows much promise from this group of musicians. You can get it now on iTunes or the DRM-free Amazon service. If you don’t want the entire EP, try out “Closure” and “Head On” to get a good feel for the band.

Closure

Head On

Official Site

Myspace

[Subscribe to this feed]

Posted on January 22, 2008