LEROY LEE – LEROY LEE

In the long-standing tradition of young Australian songwriters quietly pushing the boundaries of commercial pop, Leroy Lee sits somewhere East of Liam Finn or Josh Pyke, via the dark horse songwriters of the 70’s. A smoke n’ tinder acoustic warmth permeates all his recordings for this debut long-player. What immediately strikes the ear is Lee’s rollicking guitar work; his even-tempered and woody finger-picking underscores these songs with the clarity of a full band. Driving opener Drawing Smoke reflects on procrastination and missed opportunity, and with There Works A Waitress Lee taps into the same melancholic mindset as those early Ryan Adams ballads. Lee’s ever-sturdy guitar moves into enjoyable neo-blues jam territory in Sweet Lady Sugarcane. Perhaps where Lee shines the most however are in his pop songs – gently romantic, and with just enough realism and dark patches to avoid being pie-faced as a mere sentimentalist. Listen to the highway-swept, America-esque melodics in the chillingly infectious Mountain Song, and you’ll know what I mean.

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