Yesterday saw the release of The Apothecary EP by Leland Sundries.

At first you might think it is just another in a long line of “find and replace” folk, but led by Nick Loss-Eaton, Leland Sundries’ take on Americana sits comfortably alongside contemporaries like Elvis Perkins, Jay Farrar, and A.A. Bondy, yet is informed by decades of history, too.

Like many great folk songs and traditional tunes, there is an immediacy to the melodies and chord progressions of their music that easily ensnares the listener. Those hooks encourage repeated spins and, subsequently, closer inspection. Time Out New York has already favourably described Leland Sundries as “oddball storytelling with a lo-fi country sensibility,” and we can see what they mean. Hooks aside, suitably world-weary vocals deliver lyrics that are rife with images of bowling shoes, cinderblock villages, decaying houses, and oddball tourist attractions, elevating the everyday beyond the ordinary.

The songs of Leland Sundries don’t just sketch scenes, but map out curious universes that the listener can inhabit, explore and expand upon as the imagination dictates.

One to keep a close eye on, that’s for sure.

Visit MySpace here.

Download Leland Sundries – Elegy mp3 (from The Apothecary EP)