Appropriately enough for an album released just as the weather began to improve, `Into The Murky Water' is the aural equivalent of sitting in the beer garden of a quaint country pub with a ploughman's lunch and a foaming pint of nut brown ale. Packed with flavour and shot through with a comforting warmth, this is an album made for lazy sunny days.
There is also an air of eccentricity to the album, which was conceived during a road trip along the British coast. The decision was made early on to use only authentic instruments, regardless of how inconvenient that may prove to be. So it came to pass that the band trekked the length of the country just to find the right pipe organ sound or to tickle the keys of a vintage harpsichord.
Thankfully, their efforts paid off. This is a fulsome and grand record, packed with sturdy instrumentation yet not at the expense of clear, hummable melodies. From the very first track the listener is confronted by all manner of instruments, yet the experience is not overwhelming. What could have felt like an acoustic assault feels much more akin to a harmonic hug thanks to the band's natural grasp of song craft.
For the most part the music is up-tempo and chipper - such as the sprightly percussion of the eponymous opener or the delirious sway of `You Could Keep Me Talking' - but even when the mood dips, it strikes for wistful rather than melancholy. `Our Hearts Burn Like Damp Matches' is a prime example of this - a song ideal for gazing out of a train window with a wry smile.
The closest comparison one could reasonably draw would be to the work of Divine Comedy. The two acts hold a similar grasp of lyricism and melody, each being capable of sweeping and soaring in the most enjoyable fashion, yet also able to restrain themselves sufficiently to allow the natural beauty of a song to shine through. Vocally, the Leisure Society are rather lighter, yet there is still adequate substance to ensure that the voice is not lost amid the excitable clamour of the music.
Suffice to say, if you only buy one quirky indie-pop-folk album this Summer, make it this one. Just do it quickly, while the sun's still here...