“leatherfacehot_water”
Leatherface/Hot Water Music
BYO Split Series Vol. I
BYO
I’ve heard a lot about Leatherface for the past year or so, but this is the first time I’ve actually heard them. They sound to me like a cross between Jawbreaker and Hot Water Music. I can definitely see how this band influenced the HWM boys. The most distinctive thing about Leatherface is the vocalist. To say his voice is grainy would be to lump him in with every other punk singer in the world, but it is grainy, just in a more compelling way than most. I wish it was a bit higher in the mix. If you’re into driving, anthemic emo you’ll dig Leatherface. These six songs are definitely worth repeated listens. They grow on you, you can’t help it.
What more can you say about Hot Water Music? Honesty, integrity, real, all these words are constantly used to describe this band, and rightfully so. But at the heart of all those adjectives is something more. There’s an overwhelming magnetic quality to these guys and their songs. I can only describe it by saying that I feel like I’m part of something when I listen to these songs. It’s powerful.
For you HWM junkies, there are five new songs here for you to chew on. My favorites are definitely “Dead End Streets” and “The Bitter End,” the latter of which was recorded in the same session as their upcoming full length and sounds fucking great.
By the time you read this, HWM and Leatherface will be in the midst of their summer tour. It’s a punk rocker’s wet dream come true. Don’t miss it. And, oh yeah, don’t miss this record either.
BYO Records, P.O. Box 67A64, Los Angeles, CA 90067; http://www.byorecords.com
