There’s a simplicity to “A Story To Tell” by Swedish pop band Leading Edge. A simplicity that is not the result of any lack of imagination or ability but more the result of remaining true to purpose of any band and that is, in case you have forgotten the time before the Saturday night idolisation of the generic, to make music.
This EP, short as it is, contains more than enough proof that the art of song writing has not died a death and, for that reason, Leading Edge seem a product of a time past and an American time past at that. That is not to trivialise their efforts, of course, for their unforced style does them credit. Anna Johannisson’s voice, for example, sounds natural throughout and sprinkles the necessary melancholy on “Passing Lights” without resorting to anything as crude as a vocal affectation yet she still remains capable of demonstrating the energy necessary to drive “Hear Me Roar” forward to the stirring chorus.
“A Story To Tell”, therefore, contains songs that run straight and true from start to finish and, at the risk of repeating the band, they do have a story or two to tell.
The EP is available from Bandcamp.