If you've ever seen one of those movies where the spirit of one is transmitted to another by touch, you'll see where this is going... Once upon a Spring-ish day, SIMON AND GARFUNKEL traversed the park towards a Renfest, when Garfunkel was elbowed by an indie rock guitarist who was running towards yon coffeehouse gig. Simon soon tripped over the picnic blanket of a symphonic metal band, who was snacking before their next show. As he apologized for stepping in the drummer's potato salad, he began to feel a shift at the core of his being. Garfunkel felt it too. These close encounters of the genre kind unleashed a sound very much like LEAFBLADE's latest creation, "The Kiss of Spirit and Flesh". Of course, we know this is only one way it could have happened....

Sean Jude and Kevin Murphy have shown daring in baking for us a musical cake, whose icing, both around and between layers, is acoustically troubadoric, with a creamy harmonic texture. Its top layer tastes of indie rock and bottom layer contain the essence of symphonic metal, all soaked in the liquer of transcendental poetry. When commandeered into sampling this cake, one part at a time, we get "The Hollow Hills" and "Sunset Hypnos." The flavors are appealing on their own, but before they can be truly savored, they change. When we get a forkful of cake from top to bottom, and are permitted to meld all the flavors in one mouthful, we get the maturity and complexity of "Bethlehem" and "Oak Machine". We get palate cleansers in the ambient acoustical folk of "Fuschia" and predominant presence of indie rock in "Thirteen". Some slices are served with an entranced dollop of whipped cream, as in "Portrait."

With LEAFBLADE we have taken a peek into their experimental kitchen. We have seen they are skilled instrumentalists and harmonists. Taken on their own, each track may have been best served as their own pastries, but as whole confection, it's overwhelming to the aural palate. It might have gone more smoothly with tracks reordered. This I will test on my own by shuffling tracks. Also, had "The Hollow Hills" and "Sunset Hypnos" each blended a little more fully or were removed all-together, "The Kiss of Spirit and Flesh" might have presented itself a bit more seamless. I would like to experience more musical delicacies from this band. They should keep baking.