Whatever the developments in London, Belfast or Dublin, musically the north is still very much a different country. There seems to be surprisingly little traffic either way, despite the fact that Belfast is as near to Dublin as any of the other Irish cities that continually send their brave boys and girls to the capital to do musical battle. When was the last time that a Northern band created a real buzz down here? Leya have tried more than most, and have made decent headway.
Their debut album arrives on what is basically an Irish label and is a sumptuous affair all round, enough to suggest that somebody thinks Leya have it in them to repay the outlay. They might not be wrong. I’ve always found them a frustrating listening experience in the past, their songs not quite able to match their obvious ambition. The four piece aim to make big, anthemic music, an approach that walks a thin line between success and overblown failure. Watch You Don’t Take Off not only walks that line with assured balance, it also shows signs of striding off into the realms of success. They understand that to do this kind of stuff well, you have to think big, and the quartet back themselves with strings, ambitious arrangements and a desire to make their mark.
Crucially, they have the songs to back it up. ‘In Our Hands’ is the one that really brings it all together, but several others hit the spot too, especially ‘On All My Sundays’ and ‘Let’s Pretend’. It’s also the kind of stuff that has played well in the mainstream of late, something that won’t have gone unnoticed in the Rubyworks camp. Can Leya step into the world of Coldplay, Embrace and Keane and reap the rewards? You suspect that they’ll need a few lucky breaks but if that happens, watch them take off.