That ‘Petrel’ Emotion
Usually when a band takes an extended break from recording only to return several years later, the end result is kind of lackluster, with the final output failing to capture whatever once made a well-rehearsed and well-traveled band interesting. Which isn’t to say that a record like Aerosmith’s “Permanent Vacation” is crummy, its just that it was made by a band whose evolution had been well documented on record previously, but who, after several years away from the studio, left a notable gap between where they left off and where they picked up again.
The same can’t be said of “The Stormy Petrel” from Leatherface, the latest LP from the British band led by Frankie Stubbs who popularized the gravelly-voiced pop-punk style favored by Jawbreaker, Hot Water Music and a generation of bands who grew up on punk but who decided to deliver their melodies via a style more akin to Lemmy than Greg Graffin. After a six-year recording absence, Leatherface return with a wallop, though they won’t knock you down right away. Rather, they’re like a prizefighter who can go the distance, slowly wearing you down over the course of 12 rounds.
The band pick up right where they left off after 2004’s “Dog Disco,” with moody, muted mid-tempo punk songs as gray as the Sunderland skies that birthed them. Perhaps their “Storm” has weathered the proverbial storm because they’ve taken extended breaks throughout their 20-plus year career. Aside from Stubb’s raspy delivery, Leatherface separate themselves from most modern punk acts by adding textures to their songs, with one guitar picking chords while the other plays a complimentary guitar line. And though they occasionally up their tempos, the band never hits the breakneck speeds of NOFX or Bad Religion. They’re just as comfy in mid-tempo melancholy as they are in full-on fury.
Through it all, the years have been kind to the band. They’ve managed a slow but steady output while racking up a loyal fanbase on this side of the Atlantic and their own. Though their songs have always had a lived-in vibe, the dozen tracks on “The Stormy Petrel” finally feel like home, and you may just want to crawl inside and go to sleep for awhile.
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