Front Port Musings On The Stormy Petrel

It is hard to believe that Leatherface has been a band for a little less than I’ve been hanging out on this planet.  This last week, the group released their first record in six years and for the last few days it has been pretty much the only album I’ve listened to.  ”The Story Petrel” follows 2004’s “Dog Disco”, and while it doesn’t immediately have the hardcore leanings of their early recordings, after a few spins even old fans will find it to be a very heavy record.  Punk rock legend, frontman Frankie Stubbs now sounds like an older, more fragile Jay Nothington, but age has made this group of punks craft their most cohesive and accessible record to date.

The minor chord progression of the opening track “God is Dead” opens into Stubb’s low growl that is now one of the most recognizable forces in punk music today.  And while this is a punk band, they lean a lot on some 90’s indie-punk structure a-la Braid or early Hot Water Music.  It is these sounds that make “The Stormy Petrel” new, but somehow awesomely familiar at the same time.  My favorite track right now is “Never Say Goodbye”, a swinging, melodic track with a sweeping chorus that even evoked a fist-pump today on my commute home from work.  No joke.

Anyway, I think this record is pretty rad and I think you should give it a listen.  I know sometimes punk-rock with hardcore leanings gets lost on our readers here at The Porch, but this music is very much a big part of what we do here.  I’m a little bummed that I can’t find any tour dates for the band but hopefully once Spring comes we’ll get a big US tour to support the record.  I’m sure the public will be waiting…

Source: frontporchmusings.com