A Subtler Kind Of Light is the debut album from Locust Leaves and whilst it is a decent listen, it doesn’t quite feel like a full-length listen and Locust Leaves don’t quite seem to have reached their full potential this time round.
The whole band gives an invigorating and hard-hitting performance for the most part, so there’s no faulting their ability – and something that is particularly good about the album is the varied vocal line, which features powerful clean lines, mysterious spoken sections and growled parts, and all the different approaches add something different to the album, bringing in different vibes and feelings. This is particularly good in second track Pillar (Vraxos), which is a colourful and varied track that features harsh, heavier sections paired well with more melodic approaches.
However at four tracks in duration, with the final track being more like an outro as it’s just ambient and atmospheric noise from start to finish, A Subtler Kind Of Light does feel a little lacking. There’s almost an unfinished vibe; like the band could have continued for longer but have chosen to end it prematurely. It leaves the listener wanting more – and not necessarily in a good way.
All in all, it’s not a bad album – it just feels more like an EP as it could have been expanded on a little more with a few more songs, or perhaps more embellishments in the final track. Still, I await their next album with interest.
6/10
