Leon III - “Fly Migrator”

SXSW 2022 - OEB Score: 7; Popularity Index: 5

Pairs Well With…White Denim, Portugal. the Man, Grateful Dead

Leon III’s sophomore record Antlers in Velvet drips in patient, psychedelic energy, long and loosely grooving jams reminiscent of 60s/70s rock explorers. Rooted in cooled alt-country, Leon III avoid Southern rock tendencies and instead go deep, building multi-sectioned songs that space-out and come back together multiple times before coming to an end. Guitar lines are more subtle than grating and Leon III even add some modern synth sounds to keep subverting expectations. Nearing ten minutes, opener “Fly Migrator is a real highlight, a song that doesn’t get boring given its length and instead builds to a fairly epic coda. The pace stays mostly down-tempo across the rest Antlers in Velvet, but it’s a sound that is always moving and one exciting in its varied influences melding in kaleidoscopic vision. (Kevin McStravick)