Moderate Rock

Leonov know exactly what they’re doing. Two months ago this might’ve made no sense. In the coming low lights and low temperatures of the next few though, ‘Wake’ will work wonders. The Norwegian outfit’s second album takes the template of the first- Tåran Reindal’s ethereal vocals over dark post-rock and fuzzy, buzzing doom- and expands on it, bringing it into focus at the same time as allowing it all the space it deserves. That means their average track running time might have gone up but the quantity and quality of ideas and excellence of execution have exponentially increased too. ‘Eucharist’ is smoky, silky gothic rock, ‘Shem’ lets just enough light in to make the shadows even darker (and I want that final eerie minute on repeat forever), and the title track is 15 minutes of magnificent melancholy and some of the best post-rock of the year. A brilliant soundtrack for this winter and beyond.