I don't think there's anyone who can say that Luke Leighfield isn't talented. He's young, only 24, and is coming out with his fourth studio album, New Season, to be released on March 16th. He's also done session work, recorded for TV and satellite radio, and performed a slew of performances and festivals across the world, as well as runs his own record label and has come up with some intriguing guerrilla marketing campaigns. Leighfield was classically trained but spent his teen years at underground punk shows and those two influences combine quite nicely into a piano-driven alt singer-songwriter style.Many of the songs start simply with Leighfield on the piano and then build in layers of drums, guitars, and horns that crescendo into an emotional high. Overall I found the compositions and layering incredibly thoughtful, especially impressive considering Leighfield's relative youth. His songs have a richness and a weight to them, almost an air of expectancy, that I think is due to the album's reflective tone. My favorite track, "New Season", is one of the few that launches straight into an energetic alt-pop sound that immediately lifted my spirits. I also really liked the song "Time" for the same type of upbeat energy, coupled with some self-deprecating humor. The track, "The One Thing," is musically beautiful and soaring in its scope. I can definitely picture his songs getting picked up for soundtracks, as they would add well to other story-telling mediums. His themes throughout the album are ultimately ones of hope and renewal, but I did feel like there was a little bit of back story that was hinted at but not told. Which brings me to my next point.
