Bronson Records – 21 Feb 2025
Unsettling – in a good way – New Wave
leatherette is a 5 piece post punk band from Italy, who describe themselves as ‘five shy guys who sometimes get off the stage and punch people.’ Meant to be a breakup song from the perspective of an “inept and creepy” narrator, leatherette’s “Itchy” paints a perfect portrait of an unstable protagonist before its lyrics even kick in, buried underneath syncopated guitar hits and fuzzy bass. By the time the chorus kicks in, I’m left with an impressive feeling of ‘unsettled’ that carries through til the end of the frantic B side, “Delusional”.
The EP’s strength is entirely in its arranging. Using ‘over-the-bar’ rhythms and heavy layering of instruments, leatherette manages to create frenetic, urgent, near chaos at times, but demonstrate control by dropping and – violently – bringing it back during instrumentals.
In short, they nailed the concept they went for and made an enjoyable EP out of it.
Clocking in at 5:12 total, “Itchy + Delusional” leaves me wanting to hear more, both of the last track – which felt like it was cut off too soon – and their work as a whole. Fans of new wave pop-rock will probably enjoy the listen, and fans of 80’s and 90’s nostalgia will, too, as well as the two accompanying videos, which are shot like they were ripped from a slightly damaged VHS tape.
