Photo credit: Sebastian Matthes
Kiran Leonard has released the sprawling nine-minute ‘Legacy of Neglect’ ahead of the release of new album ‘Western Culture’ on 9 November (Moshi Moshi). The song opens in serene fashion with Kiran showing off his Jeff Buckley-esque vocals amidst an atmospheric and gently swaying sound. As it enters its second minute, recent Q Awards album winners Let’s Eat Grandma contribute backing vocals as riffs and angst take over as the song takes an unexpected punk-rock direction – think Shellac or Johnny Foreigner!
The track then quietens down around the halfway point before strings and percussion come in as Kiran delivers a kind-of monolog in hushed tones – complete with a Rufus Wainwright-style delivery of the word ’emptiness’. As it heads towards its climax, the guitars speed up and Kiran starts talking about ‘human desire’ and setting things on fire with gusto.