Northern five piece, Leopards, are set to release their brand new EP, ‘Future | Fate | Forever‘, on February 23rd and it looks as if they’ve pulled out the big guns in order to bring their vision of pop rock to the masses. Whether or not this is to great avail is a completely different matter…
In all honesty, this is an EP packed with highs: Jenna Clare‘s vocals are consistently crisp – never more so than on the EP’s closing track, ‘April‘, while the talents of guitarists Ben Corbett-Mills and Craig Henderson are manifested in twinkling melodies and stunning riffs throughout the release.
It may be one of the laziest comparisons to make, however there’s something about Leopards that is overtly similar to early Paramore. A strong female vocal, infectious melodies and driving guitars in the foreground (give ‘Promise Me‘ a listen and you’ll understand what we mean). And while Leopards wear it well, they really need to up their game, or they run the risk of getting lost in amongst the plethora of other bands doing similar things right now.
That’s not to say that they lack potential, and it’s still early days for these guys. For example, the EP’s melody driven opener, ‘Save Yourself‘, is laden with conviction, punchy lyrics and is the type of track that fellow Brits, Young Guns, would be proud of (they’re no stranger to writing an anthem or two – this is on THAT level). It is, simply, a gorgeously written pop rock track.
In conclusion, ‘Future | Fate | Forever‘, is, on its own merit an incredibly strong EP – it has a wonderfully energetic quality, whilst maintaining strength in terms of musicianship and songwriting. However, Leopards really haven’t offered much to set themselves apart from their rivals. Just give these guys a bit of time to find their own niche and you’ll certainly be seeing more of them, however. Wait and see.
