Review: Imperial Leisure – The Art of Saying Nothing

British ska these days is a pretty exciting genre. More and more new acts are coming out, and in my opinion, they’re a whole world better than what the US has to offer.

I saw Imperial Leisure supporting The King Blues a few months ago, although I had meant to see them before that (but couldn’t go and had to give away the tickets : ( ), and they were by far the superior act (as much as I love The King Blues).

I’m not big on the lyrics. A lot relates to drinking culture, but happily, it’s not all positive. King of Kings describes a pretty pathetic drunk character who’s life is falling apart. But the lyrics aren’t everything in music, and they’re not why I gave this a 4 star rating.

It’s party music. The brass section is strong and the choruses stay with you for a damn long time. Sometimes it’s more indie than ska, but the ska influence is generally held enough to make it feel like it belongs in the genre.

I can’t begin to discuss highlights. Man on the Street is a blast. In a Letter is catchy, but it’s also touching; the guy is taking about a girl writing him a letter, which he was hoping would make his pain go away, but it doesn’t – in fact, it just makes him angry. We might not have all been there, but anyone who’s been heartbroken can understand how it feels!

Then we’ve got Sombrero. An instrumental feels pretty odd in a largely vocal-driven record, but it’s awesome. It showcases the brass section’s talent.

The oddest song on the album is The Beast. Completely different from everything else, but fun as hell nevertheless. We have a few slower songs on here also, such as Alperton (OK, one slow song), but it fits in pretty well anyways…even if it’s certainly not ska!

So yeah, fun, catchy and generally awesome indie/ska music. Can’t wait for the next album! “That’s what you get, mate, for being a wanker” is gonna run through my head for the rest of my days.