Lewis & Leigh first appeared on this site a month ago in our Stray Plectrums feature, but I enjoyed their debut EP ‘Night Drives’ (released October 6) so much that I decided to devote a full article to it. ‘Night Drives’ is right; with the exception of the opening track and lead single ‘What Is There To Do’, the record is beautifully quiet, gentle, exquisite. Largely acoustic, their voices join in achingly perfect harmonies to accompany streetlights, silent roads, moonlight, sleeping children in the backseat and long stretches of empty horizon, making this a 4-song collection that is relaxing and extremely pleasant to listen to.
‘What Is There To Do’, which has already received spins on BBC Radio 2 (the duo are based in London with one member from Wales, the other from Mississippi), is more dynamic and textured than the others but it is still remarkably laid-back, thoughtful, and contemplative despite its mid-tempo beat. In addition, the song is strewn with emotional turmoil, anxiety; truly the definition of inner conflict at a point in a relationship where everything is too ruined, too screwed up to go on, and yet they are so deeply tangled in each other that the only thing they can do is continue to try and save the relationship. Too, and strange for a song focused on incredible sadness, the track is insatiably catchy. I find myself singing it hours, days after I have heard it, quietly drawing attention to the duo’s talented songcraft which draws from a sound that often reminds me of Swedish Americana duo First Aid Kit.
There are more references to the night as we come onto the second track ‘All Night Drive’, which feels like a more mellow continuation of its predecessor. There are more complex relations and situations here, articulated most elegantly and cinematically in an almost haunting, wandering style that winds its way through the darkness. “Why does it have to be harder than it needs to be?” Alva sings imploringly in ‘Anchor Line’. “I’m broke, searching for what’s free. All I want is to love somebody, and for it to be true.” What becomes apparent as this EP progresses is its sense of loss, loneliness, a searching for an identity and a touch that feels familiar, in other words trying to join the past, present and future together in a way that allows emotional rebirth. Along with the final track, a beautiful acoustic cover of Wilco entitled ‘Say You Miss Me’, this record comes from a place of pain and hurt. They say the night is darkest before the dawn, and in this case I would be inclined to believe it’s true.
