Leo Harmonay’s music at first glance takes a little bit of folk inspired songwriting and drives it through the airwaves with an indie rock infused energy and power. However, there’s much more to the songwriter than a single song can suggest, and the sheer variety within this project is wonderful. The Blink Of An Eye is a collection of songs that encapsulate the very ideas that come to mind on hearing the phrase – the passing of time, considering past decisions, memories, right and wrong. It’s a great discovery and it makes for a thought provoking and enjoyable hour or so of listening.
Opening track Up To You presents a and slightly dark introduction to the songwriter’s creative mind, though River Dancer immediately then dispels any preconceptions you may form from hearing the initial track. There’s a softness to the music in this case, a sense of pondering and questioning mixed in among the lyrics, and the artist’s leading vocal is laid fairly bare in this case – all in all putting forth a strong contrast and an already varied multitude of skill and musicality. River Dancer is a beautifully easy going piece of music and writing.
As things progress further hints of influence appear, a touch of Americana, a slight country twang, a little bit of blues. Washing Myself Clean has that blues rock mood down and it’s a crisp and enchanting piece of music with some really fresh, intriguing lyrics. Great imagery, really heavily affecting you as you listen – conjuring up thoughts, ideas, possible connections to the metaphors. A definite highlight.
Wounds Of Love is a little less experimental than it’s predecessor. This track offers a warm and pleasant piece of emotionally honest country folk songwriting. Then you get taken back up a level for the indie rock swagger of Gone Are The Days. The album in it’s entirety is really an eclectic and unpredictable gathering of songs. It seems a little like a greatest hits collection at times, the variety, the changing subject matter. It works well and things are kept interesting and sounding great throughout.
On occasion you get these truly experimental and alternative moments, always held together by brilliant songwriting and unquestionable truth. In The Morning Light is a beautiful example of all of this. The song creates a certain atmosphere, within which the artist’s leading vocal performance carries the concept and the melody superbly. The sultry and reflective soul of this track lingers in the air long after listening. It’s a fairly minimal piece of music but it’s powerful in its simplicity and expression.
Dirty River Town is a gentle and accessible bit of folk and blues, a classic sounding song with a genuine and honest essence. Incredibly easy to listen and forget yourself to for a while. Following this, Bridges steps the rhythm up a notch or two, and yet the acoustic nature of the song at first glance fits well with the mood left over from the previous track. This one again has a sort of strength that needs nothing fancy or loud to hold its own. A live performance of this one would likely captivate audiences from start to finish.
The title track of the album has a fairly mainstream melody and musical backdrop to it, one of the more familiar sounding songs. It offers, quite simply, a solid example of Leo Harmonay’s songwriting and musical ability, and as always it’s an enjoyable and reliable piece of music that fills the room with a warm and uplifting energy. Then things fall away a little for The Joy In Our Sadness, a deeply reflective song that is likely to strike a chord with most who hear it. Again, the simplicity of the song allows the true power of its message and its melody to really sink in. The lyrics are beautiful, nothing is there simply to fill a space, everything has meaning and has been thoughtfully included to help craft something meaningful. Another final highlight of the whole collection and a song that leaves you confident that the listening experience has been quite extraordinary.
The artist’s unique perspective is well worth listening to, the added benefit of course is that the music surrounding this is ever creative and clever. Find and follow Leo Harmonay on Twitter. Visit his Website for more information.
