"Songs for Lonely Boys and Girls With Fleeting Crushes" by Leif

Anyone ever noticed that studying for midterms is little to no fun at all? Yep. So have I.

Well, I've been listening to an album by a very under-the-radar artist for a couple days now which has made the process infinitely less stressful. This man has gotten significantly less attention than he deserves, and I'm so glad I found it on iTunes. The album artwork caught my eye for the wonderfully quirky, hand-drawn scene it features. You'll come to find out that the cover mirrors the feel of the music on the album quite well.

I decided to write about the album because I've been listening to it while I study, but this album is just as at home playing in the car or in a dark room, accompanying merely you and your thoughts.

For those of who would like some soothing study-music, or for those of you who would just like a wonderful and simple set of relaxing songs, boy do I have the album for you.

"Songs for Lonely Boys and Girls With Fleeting Crushes" (which by the way, is one of the best album names I have come across in a while) is about a half hour pure relaxation. Simple acoustic guitar creates an almost ever-present bed of warm sound for Leif's vocals to rest lightly on top of.

The lyrics have a meditative feel to them, in my opinion, and they succeed in making you think without getting you down. Leif sings in a soft voice, a little above a whisper. But, he sings with a pure tone. The result is an extremely intimate sound. He might as well be singing to you in your living room.

Even though the album is soft throughout, there are still different ranges of dynamics. There are peaks and valleys to every song, from quietly triumphant (if that's not too much of an oxymoron) to soft and thoughtful.

For those of you who'd like an artist in the music world to link Leif to in terms musical style, I suppose the closest would be Joshua Radin, though I think Leif's music is more atmospheric.

I sincerely hope you give Leif's album a chance. It'll provide you with an escape from stress whenever you need it (or simply some music to float away in at any time).

My three favorite tracks are: "November," "Morning," and "1:22 a.m."

Here's a link to Leif's page on the site of Holster Records.

http://holsterrecords.com/artist/leif/

Until next time, spread the word about the blog and enjoy the music!

Andrew