Despite opener ‘Little Songs’ declaring the narrator to be “done with tiny songs,” Rock Combo consists almost entirely of sub-two minute tracks, with the only two that pass the 180 second mark doing so by twelve and twenty seconds respectively. Instead, Russel the Leaf focuses on creating tight yet playful songs with a retro flavour, pop distilled into its purest form and presented in bite-size nuggets. So, whether the mood be the runaway energy of ‘Out of My Head’ or more heartfelt and affectionate as on ‘Set It On Up,’ Marré maintains a brand of carefree energy that seems to belong in days now past, captured in film photographs from disposable cameras, any blurring of light leaks only added to the character.

Lead single ‘Let ‘Em Run’ is the archetypal example of Russel the Leaf’s aesthetic. The leisurely waves of instrumentation lap at your ear before carrying Marré’s vocals in too, though his lyrics almost merge into the song so as to become part of the tidal rhythm, allowing for a sound that is buoyed by its own energy. The song comes complete with a suitably lo-fi video directed by Karl Bertrand, so check it out below:

Rock Combo is out on the 25th July via It Takes Time Records and Bee Side Cassettes. Head on over to the Russel the Leaf Bandcamp page to grab all of the previous releases. Finally, Marré is going on a short tour later this summer, and you can find the date below.

August 10th – Philadelphia, PA
August 11th – Brooklyn, NY
August 12th – Troy, NY
August 13th – Saratoga Springs, NY

Photo by Ron Atkins, artwork by Meg Mccauley 

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