Deforesters

Leonard (2017)

RENALDO69

Deforesters play ball in the same category as bands such as Direct Hit!, Success and last but not least, Red City Radio. I got into them over the course of the last couple EPs and this record delivers on what they offered. Leonard, as expected, is more comprehensive and all about anthemic, shoutalong pop-punk bangers. It's quite a journey, rollicking all the way through to the end.

"I'll Take The Crab Juice" and "Zesty Mordant" are some of the best tracks on tap here. The latter in particular has a more upbeat tempo to it, which highlights how much range they put on display. When they're not slowly chugging along, it's all about these crisp, quick jams. This song musically feels like Banquets, and that's a really good thing. The same can be said for "Exercise In Futility" which keeps the pace up and as one of my friends mentioned, it's like a more punk Restorations. That, I could agree with, because there's depth in lyrics, huge choruses and even bigger, melodic hooks. The album's a bit front-loaded though and peters out with about three or four songs remaining. If anything, think of this as an extended EP and you'll be good to go. A little trimming here and there, and we'd have a full-blown winner, but nonetheless, this is another reason why Toronto is punk as fuck.