Leon of Athens – “Mad into You”

SXSW 2022 - OEB Score: 7; Popularity Index: 6 

Pairs Well With… Coldplay, Sufjan Stevens, Shawn Mendes

When we last checked in with Leon of Athens (aka Timolean Veremis), just before 2020 SXSW, he seemed to be shifting from angsty lyrics framed by upbeat anthemic folk pop rock, to similarly weighty songs, but to synth-infused dance beats. The two songs he released in 2021 appear to have completed a transition to full-out dance pop. One song, “Kymata,” is sung in Greek but Google Translate reveals it to be a straight-up heartbreak song. The second, “Mad into You” is the opposite -- a sweeping, toe-tapping dedication to a new infatuation. While these two singles are decent ear candy and danceable, to this reviewer, however, the songs on his first album, such as “Aeroplane,” “Xenos,” and “Anemo,” have more depth and musicality.  Perhaps the recent singles were DIY bedroom projects necessitated by pandemic recording studio lockdowns. In any event, having liked this artist for a few years, we’ll happily see how the new material sound live, while remaining hopeful that Veremis uses this SXSW to also showcase his songwriting and arrangement talents, as well as his Greek heritage, which includes his proficiency with the uke and bouzouki, all of which enriched the first album. If not, we’ll see if we can do the Sirtaki to a dance pop beat. (David Zlotnick)

2020 Review: Leon of Athens (aka Timolean Veremis) is based in London but having spent much of his life in Athens, in addition to the guitar, he plays the uke, bass and the popular traditional Greek instrument the bouzouki.  He writes angsty, folky lyrics packaged in (mostly) upbeat anthemic, pop rock.  The catchiest of his work is “Aeroplane” a (somewhat) melancholy love song that features uplifting guitar riffs, anthemic builds, and an earworm chorus.  There are other strong efforts on his 2018 release “Xenos.”  The title song is layered with guitar samples, spacey synths, and aggressive beats.