Lois Leon: Fickle Pickle, Southend

Image Credit: Alfie (courtesy of the band)

Southend-based Lois Leon took to the Fickle Pickle in Southend last Saturday to headline a night of local bands.

Some bands must launch into a set with a statement of intent, to unfurl life’s polemic in three minutes of chaos seeking affirmation. Then, there are bands like Lois Leon, who glide into your life as though they’ve been mesmerising 6Music dads for decades.

They took slacker rock, Sleeper, Echobelly, and blissed out shoegaze to new, beguiling levels. Frontwoman Lois took the charm of Beth Orton along the Essex estuary. On ‘Untamed’, Lois nestled between the performative side of Louise Wener and the forlorn beauty of Aimee Mann. As her smoky vocal delivered the hushed clarion call “not too late to roll the dice and change the score”, the majesty of Portishead began to fill the room.

On ‘Slow Motion’ Lois and lead guitarist Adam emerged as a partnership to be reckoned with. The latter’s subtle riffs allow a sense of optimism to swell whilst Lois’ vocals tentatively emerge from the shadows. They entwine themselves as one in the verse and allow Adam’s solo to land with great emotional heft.

On their latest single ‘Stuck’, they strayed from slacker to shoegaze with a poise that belies their fledgling status. Adam’s guitars howled into the ether alongside Lois’ ethereal vocal, which was effortless and heart-wrenching.

Often with new bands, you cling to the parts of their set, but never all. Lois Leon, however, came fully formed. They knew when to step on the gas and when to refrain. Bordering on masterful, they feel a stone's throw away from festival main stages and universal acclaim.