Leopold And His Fiction - Ain’t No Surprise

Label: Native Fiction
Rating: 3.5 Guns

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Review by: Hilary Hughes

Leopold And His Fiction has put out an album that elicits a response akin to post-coital bliss.

When I put Ain’t No Surprise on, my eyelids flutter under the weight of an impending heaviness, the steady snares and ambitious, distortion-free solos envelope me, and finally, after the record has run through its track list, I suddenly feel the need for a long, hard drag on somebody else’s cigarette.

I don’t mean to make the latest release from Leopold And His Fiction sound like auricular porn or anything, because there’s nothing sexually implied in the slightest. I just can’t remember the last time I listened through an album in its entirety and thought to myself, “This? This sound is pure sex.”

What I appreciate most about Ain’t No Surprise is the consistency behind each and every track, and the cohesive sound that incorporates the talents of each piece in the band. It doesn’t hurt that Daniel James’ boisterous vocals trip and soar over the high-notes on songs like “Come Back (Now That I’m Here),” either. The song can start off careful and slow, like “Tigerlily or Adanelina,” or it could flourish from the strong percussive presence on tracks like “Sun’s Only Promise” and Hawk Eyes.”

Either way, a climax hits the ear on each track of Ain’t No Surprise, and maybe it’s this build up in 4/4 time delivering musical euphoria that has me thinking of Leopold And His Fiction along X-rated lines.

Like this band? You may also like: Basement Band, Cold War Kids, The Doors, Johnny Cash, The Strokes


Tour Dates ::
10.11 San Francsco, CA @ Hemolock Tavern (w/the dazzling strangers/candy apple/ EFS!!!!)
10.16 Portland, OR @ East End w/Candy Apple
10.17 Eugene, OR @ Awesome House (party)
10.22 Brooklyn, NY @ The Charleston (CMJ Show!)
10.24 Flagstaff, AZ @ The Monte Vista Hotel Cocktail Lounge
10.25 Tucson, AZ @ The Living Room (w/young mothers)
10.26 Phoenix, AZ @ Animal House (party)
10.27 Albuquerque, NM @ Burt’s Tiki Lounge
10.28 Amarillo, TX @ Golden Light Cantina
10.29 Denver, CO @ Larimer Lounge
10.31 Ft. Worth @ The Moon Bar
11.01 Austin, TX @ Emo’s
11.03 San Antonio, TX @ The Mix
11.04 El Paso, TX @ The Percolator (w/Ralphenne)
11.06 San Diego, CA @ Chasers
11.07 West Hollywood, CA @ On The Rox