Loveseat! do not seem to be resting on their laurels. Following the release of their Let’s Go EP in January and hitting highways and stages like a band on a mission — even hosting their own Lovefest in August — this rock quartet have just released a new set of tunes.
The Leave Room EP is six songs in under 15 minutes. There’s no wasted moments or indulgent jams that leave you wanting to skip ahead. This is Loveseat! locking in and giving us beautifully curated college rock ear worms that leave you wanting more, more, more.
The quartet of vocalist Mary Mitchener, guitarist Sam Clay, bassist Ethan Hoff, and drummer Vic Brown lock into vibes equally melancholy and buoyant. Their sound is all pop hooks with a post-punk aftertaste, jagged guitars and frenetic rhythms that sound equal parts early R.E.M. and the early days of the 4AD record label. The music lingers in indifference and early ’80s college rock lore, while Mitchener’s vocals keep the band grounded.
Leave Room is here and gone before you know, begging for consecutive multiple listens.
Opener “Right Away” captures Pretenders vibes with Mitchener sounding a bit like The Waitresses’ Patty Donahue. It’s a driving track that opens the album on a great note. “Bedtime Man” flexes with catchy hooks and massive vocal chops with Mitchener singing, “You’re not really there,” as the song gets good and loud in the chorus. “One Thing” swings nicely with some tasteful harmonies as the band locks into Alvvays vibes.
The songs get in and get out, never lingering too long. Maybe even leaving the listener wanting the song to go just a little more.
“Lies Beneath” jangles and buzzes in angst and jagged guitar stabs, while closer “Return” ends Leave Room with a post-punk punch to the solar plexus that is reminiscent of early LCD Soundsystem, pulling you in with an undeniable groove.
Loveseat! look like a band on a mission as Leave Room keeps ears perked throughout. By the end, we’re hungry for more.
This is yet another bulletproof group of tunes that show Loveseat! are in the forefront of an already stellar local music scene.
