REVIEW: Dead Leaf Echo - Thought And Language

Thought and Language is the new album from NYC-based dreampop/shoegaze outfit Dead Leaf Echo.  They are playing it very lush and loud - the guitars are spectacular, and it seems each song features more soaring leads than the one before. There is a series of songs in the middle of the record - "Internal", "Language of the Waves" and "Memorytraces" - each between 4:40 and over 6:00 - that remind me of nothing quite so much as the music of Swervedriver and My Bloody Valentine. The singer's voice is a bit reminiscent of Adam Franklin's, and the guitars soar, swirl and just kind of drown you in the sound.

They are new to me, but they have clearly been at this for a while - I am tremendously impressed with their playing, with the structure of the songs and most of all the quality of the music. It's headphone music, but I imagine it also comes across very well live - it's completely immersive.

The band has produced a video for "Kingmaker", the lead track from their upcoming album Thought And Language:

Kingmaker from dead leaf echo on Vimeo.

And here's the track:



Here's another video - a live performance of the album cut "Birth":



Thought And Language is due out in March, but you can listen to a little more of their music at their website now - and you should. This is a band with a very full, engaging rock sound.

Dead Leaf Echo website