The Leisure Society: Alone Aboard the Ark

The band's third record follows the nuanced compositional flair of The Sleeper (2009) and Into the Murky Water (2011), and boasts a robust production to balance their shambling charm. Recorded at Ray Davies's Konk studio, it contains nostalgic flourishes on songs such as Tearing the Arches Down , with its wobbly synths, and the hazy Sober Scent of Prayer . Fight for Everyone is upbeat pop, All I Have Seen has lush piano and rattling drums. Everyone Understands is Beirut in a big band context,and Life Is a Cabriolet has elements of Belle & Sebastian.But it's on the likes of Forever Shall We Wait , a rockabilly sea shanty, and the rich We Go Together that Nick Hemming really finds his voice, marrying narrative flair with musical beauty. They're a reminder of why he worked so well with film director Shane Meadows (a previous bandmember) on A Room for Romeo Brass and Dead Man's Shoes .
Download: Fight for Everyone, We Go Together