Living with the Living
Label: Touch & Go Records
Length: LP
Rated: NONE
Release Date: 2007-03-20
Media: CD
Format: Album
WorkNameSort: Living with the Living
In the American underground, Ted Leo is the real deal. Here, his sharp, blue-collar intelligence continues to swirl with that trademark mash of liberating punk & roll, ragged folk pathos and Celtic fire, but this crisp collection shows a broader spectrum of style and mood. ‘The Toro and the Toreadorâ?� exhales with blue-eyed soul, the confrontational ‘Bomb. Repeat. Bombâ?� tumbles headlong down the rocky mountain in a Chili Peppers’esque rush, and the pretty ‘La Costa Bravaâ?� hits the open road with the top down and a romantic melody at its side. He even pulls off reggae on ‘The Unwanted Thingsâ?� without making you want to string yourself from a ceiling fan. Whether measured or full-tilt, what makes Leo’s music affecting is that it beats with a big, pounding heart. His uncanny sense of melody pervades with more precision and consistency than normal, making this one of his tightest albums yet.
This article appears in Mar 28 – Apr 3, 2007.