Mettle EP - Leila

The 20: May 2008

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Featured Review #18

Mettle EP

Leila [Warp Records]

#18 in this month's The 20

Section: Music Reviews Topics: The 20
Written by: lizwarner

We’ve always loved Warp Records for throwing us a loop from time to time; it’s a modus operandi that has established the label with fans of the most distinguished taste.

Upon hearing the new EP from their latest signing, Leila [Arab], the abstract handling of electronics rings more like a breath of fresh air.

Leila has been honing her craft for over a decade for Rephlex and XL Recordings and now, with ‘Mettle’, gives us a taste of what to expect on her forthcoming album on Warp this June.

Expect a listening rather than dancing experience as oddities abound on the title cut of the release.

Swirling affected vocals and guitars crash together in a clash of sounds dissonant in nature.

Former Rephlex cohort Luca Santucci adds a vocal touch to ‘Heaven Sent’ for a more melodic approach.

‘Ode to Mr Herrman’ is an otherworldly experience of swirling harp and heavenly birds, leaving the listener somehow grounded after swallowing the ethereal haze throughout the release.

Whether Leila’s latest existential effort ends up in your library is a question of taste.

But whether Warp has managed to raise the bar (even if it is by raising the eyebrows) is not in question, as it has been proven to be their true art.