The Curse of Company - Leo Magnets Joins A Gang

The Curse of Company - The Parade Devine

The Curse of Company’s debut, “Leo Magnets Joins A Gang” combines melodrama and hushed open spaces.  The open spaces lead to some pleasant melodies, and the alternating male and female vocals are a nice touch.  But at 11 songs, the lack of diversity overpowers its subtly.  What’s engaging and pleasant on the opening tracks becomes old news at the half way point.

Mostly stripped down to guitar, soft drumming, and echoed vocals, “Leo Magnets Joins A Gang” is somber music for dying.  That is to say, it’s high drama crafted delicately with the slow moving high stakes of art house cinema. The characters in this drama are yearning for something bigger but are stuck in a desolate landscape.

There’s a dream like element to the aching on “Leo Magnets.”  When the female vocal sings, “Bending over backwards / And straining till my back hurts,” on “Any Day,” the listener appreciates, but there isn’t an urgency that makes us want to help her.  Maybe I’m an asshole, or perhaps it’s that same lack of excitement that makes me hesitant to give “Leo” a favorable review. Despite the attention to detail, the album isn’t engaging enough to inspire repeated listening.