St Leonards is an alternative rock band from Sydney, Australia and its current members are Shane Fritsch, Daniel Romeo, Jeff Doukakis and Adrian Hong. Last year’s self-titled album brought us the essence of St. Leonards; hypnotic, rhythmic ballads of love and loss; of strength and sorrow. Our emotions rose and fell with their melodies. Our memories were held by the grasp of their lyrics. Their words flowered tales all but the loveless could relate to, and so we lent our hearts as well as our ears.
Now, the quartet has returned to life with the release of the new EP, ‘World Alone’. The record carries five new songs, each with its own unique talent for wrapping itself around the core of our emotions. It is a return to the genre they know so well, but not without some deviation from the band’s previous direction. St Leonards’ instruments find a new power in the record, a strength that we’ve not seen before from the group. The contrast gives birth to a showcase of unique dramatics, and the tracks are more alive than ever.
As “Fall Down” begins, the record is slowly roused with a dim loop of instrumental; the perfect beginning to a simple, yet powerful track. We are swung in to an endless spiral downwards, and recall how it feels to be left in the wake of a loved one, lost.