Home - Neil Leyton

Cover photo by Ana Isa.

In September of last year Neil Leyton released "Home", ten tracks for digital download made available via his website http://neilleyton.com/. Without waiting a second I paid the $8.58 Canadian without previewing it to get the record. You can pay what you like but there is a minimum of ₤5. I should have paid more. The reason so is because I should have known I would like it. I love Neil's old band The Conscience Pilate (of which I would love to know how to pronounce). See I found them when I got interested in Canadian glam rockers Robin Black and the Intergalactic Rockstars. Two members of The Conscience Pilate helped form Robin. I have spent countless hours listening to “Living in a Movie Scene” (1996) and “Sunday Refugees” (1998). While Robin has produced probably my favorite band/personalities and records to ever come out of Canada, The Conscience Pilate easily produced the best songs to come out of Canada.

Anyway Neil Leyton is a Canadian singer and guitarist that has worked with several bands in and out of the studio as well as his own projects and bands. He has kept himself busy releasing solo records and writing for the last fifteen years or so.

His newest record "Home" is for me, a stripped down version of The Conscience Pilate. It's less glam and more singer/song writer. Neil’s voice has still has that neo-glam yet wistful sound. It's catchy and seductive like The Manics meet Seude.

The record starts off with the super catchy "God Speed to You". "Slow To Dark" is okay but seems to grow on me the more I listen to it. On "The World" I am kind of distracted by the production quality but am drawn right back in with "I Don’t Want to Fear the Future". What I like about this song is the how the guitar reminds me of 1980's country like Alabama's "Dixieland Delight" but still has an eloquent voice. "Second" takes me right back to C.P. which again I adore. Euthanasia (Our Love) is a relaxing lament, while I get lost on "To Have To Be" and "Sorrow Is Not The Answer". "Ordinary Matter" is a damaged art sing a long. It sputters along in an indie rock tone that once again has catchy hooks. Blossom is not only the final track on the record but it's your last chance to slow dance. This is by far the best slower track on the record.

Overall I really enjoy this record. Maybe I expected too much from ten tracks that are admittedly a home recorded collection. Although it cannot compete with the Neil's old band as I don’t know that anything ever will this is not a slight as it is a really great listen in its own right. They are definitely enjoyable well written songs that are way better than 90% of the music on the radio.

If I rated this record it would be 3.5 stars out of 5, almost 4. But don't take my word for it buy the record.

Preview the album here: http://neilleyton.bandcamp.com/album/home

NOT from this record but I always like to include a video for those who are visually stimulated.

Here his Neil Leyton from 2001 "My New Soul"


Cheers Rockers!!