A Massive and Experimental Rock Soiree from Leo Nino
- R.A.G.
- 5 minutes ago
- 7 min read
An album release from Leo Nino manages to deliver a soirée of rock-backed soundscapes from grunge to indie, post-rock, and loads more, all rolled into one fat record that also gives off so much character that it's super easy to hold on to.
The thing about this record is that it's got a continuous sort of vastness in its undertone. A lot of the guitar work is drenched in reverb effect, giving it that depth and almost floating, drifting feeling, but other times, it gets a bit harder and heavier.
I completely dig the semi-cinematic and totally honest feel and aesthetic of this record.
The guitar work is absolutely ridiculous, and the energy is almost like a live performance.
It's almost as if these guys recorded the record live, in a room, all at once, and everyone involved was just feeding off of each other's energies the entire time.
Even if I'm wrong about how it was recorded, after all, I wasn't there; listening to the record makes you want to go see them perform it live.
If they're able to capture this kind of static and energy on record so well, then seeing them live must be awesome.
So, right off the bat you have this combination of spacious tones and textures, along with a dirtier, almost garage rock approach, all with this vivacious energy and loads of melodic drive.
So, the record is called Mexican Summer, and it doesn't waste a lot of time with its first track, "Selective Hearing", which kicks off with a theatrical style.
The intro to the song has an old-timey record feel, a sort of amp Sim on the vocals that gives it that vintage texture, and then it sort of breaks out into this free-flowing, lush soundscape.
What's cool about this is that it introduces the record incredibly well.
This track showcases their ability to layer sounds. The guitars are layered, one clean and one distorted, giving you a little bit more to chew on, but also adding this sort of particular shimmer to what you're hearing.
The track also features a sick bridge section where the rhythm changes into a bit of a doo-wop kind of feel, and there's this lead guitar solo that's performed with an octavizer or vocoder. It's got these crazy automatic harmonies going on, and it makes me think of the Pinkerton album from Weezer.
This also kind of gives you an idea of some of the many influences that these guys pull together to create this record.
Once again, this is a great introduction to the rest of the record because you're able to grasp some of the staples you can hear throughout its release.
Having said that, this is not a skip-around kind of album. You want to listen to this release from start to finish, all the way through, in one shot.
Listening to one or two songs from the album might give you a bit of an idea of what you can expect, but it will not give you anywhere near the full spectrum of what the full record has to offer.
"Tell Me Again" drifts and sways with flowing guitars and harmonious background vocals that float through the song's ether, once again presenting a bit more depth and ambience and its underbelly.
You can hear a lot of that indie pop and rock feel coming through, influenced by Jazz, especially in the tones of those guitars, and on this one, the vocals get a little bit more robust as well.
It's also at this point where you realize that a lot of the lyrics are coming from real places. The vocalist pulls from life experience and is unafraid to get into detail or be descriptive with what he's putting out there in terms of his lyrics.
It's unafraid, and most importantly, honest. I really dig how he puts a lot of that situational awareness out there so that everyone else can pick up on it.
Now, in case I haven't mentioned it yet, this record is absolutely not without its experimental side. A lot of the release is outside the box, and it's thinking, especially in its production.
These guys are not afraid to experiment with sounds, effects, or arrangement so that you're getting something refreshing in almost every song.
One of my favorite and probably most experimental tracks on the record is the title track, "Mexican Summer", which, right off the bat, presents itself with an outrageous drumbeat.
This reminds me, I should certainly bring up the fact that the drummer of this band is outstanding. This guy really puts a lot of drive behind the songs, and it feels like he wants to branch out, and so the band follows suit well.
I think these guys flow naturally together in terms of that experimentation, to the point where one person comes up with a riff or a drumbeat, maybe a vocal melody or a bassline, and the rest of the band goes "yeah that sounds cool, let's keep rolling with that and see what happens".
Again, I wasn't there for its creation or recording obviously, but it just feels like that kind of songwriting approach. It seems like everyone's heavily involved, and very open to anything that may sound cool, so they can grow it into something and bring it to fruition.
Anyway, the drumbeat to "Mexican Summer" is awesome; it's got that jazz kind of flow, all kinds of ghost notes and fills going on, and it's completely nonstop.
Meanwhile, vocals are doing this kind of bendy, wavering floaty thing in harmony, and then organs come in. The organs are boisterous and fill any kind of space with a righteous and colorful tone.
The guitarist comes in with a lead section that sounds like it's something out of a Santana song, and everyone is just in full swing.
This is a wild track, and it just shows how these guys are creating a record that has fewer boundaries than whatever you may be used to, but sounds awesome.
"Swan Dive" is the track on the record that is catchy, super radio-friendly, and feels like something that was released in the late 90s.
The course and even verses are very hooky, flavorful, and memorable.
It has this air of '90s radio rock blended with elements of Radiohead.
The guitars are way grungier and heavier, and the whole thing just feels great when you turn it up loud.
This one was kind of nostalgic to me because I grew up with a lot of music like this, and it was just a cool piece of work to hear amongst the rest of the songs.
All in all, this is a record that goes all kinds of places and, just as they said at the very start, it's a soirée of rock approaches that really works because these guys are so open to making it work.
Just as I said earlier, I'll say it once more: listen to the whole album. It's just the best way to go.
Whatever you do, definitely don't miss it.
Now, upon listening to this record, I wanted to have a sit-down with the band so I can talk about where it all comes from and what might be coming up next for them.
So, while you have a listen to this album, read through this interview with the band, and definitely take a deep dive into this album right now because it's well worth your time.
Where did the record come from and what is it about?
- 'Mexican Summer' is inspired by the summers I have spent visiting my family in Mexico. I wanted to dedicate something to the side of the family I don't get to see as often, and I even put some audio clips from our time in Mexico together- which I thought was fun.
I am hearing some different styles here. Who are some of your biggest musical influences?
- The music I wrote for this project spanned from 2021 all the way to 2025 and in that time my taste changed pretty greatly so I think that's where the variation comes in. Some influences you might recognize would be Mac Demarco, Mannequin Pussy, Chicano Batman, and Khruangbin.
How did this all start for you guys as a band?
- I started Leo Niño as a solo project in 2021 just as a way to vent to the world musically but I've been fortunate enough to have some friends that encouraged me to take it to the stage and I've been working alongside some great performers ever since! Namely David Abdulrahman, who I've been playing music with since we met in guitar lessons in middle school.
Did you guys work with an outside producer on this, or was it all you?
- I produced the majority of the album, I had some help from some talented friends (Nick Guzman & Harry Milvid) for Is That What You Are? but most of the production and editing process took place in my apartment and then sending it off to our engineer Oli Whitworth for final mixes & master.
Did you record this at a bigger studio, or a hone DAW?
- We recorded (most) of this album in my childhood home. My parents still owned the house and it was empty due to it being up for sale and so I got to go back to the house I grew up in and spend some real time in it for the first time in a decade before it was sold, which I felt gave the music a real personal quality.
Are you performing live right now?
- We are! Leo Niño just performed in NYC for the first time last week and our next show will be in Charleston, SC on July 11th at Royal American... check it out
What kind of advice would you have for other up and coming bands out there trying to get heard?
- post one billion reels per day
Now that this is out, what's next for you guys?
- This was a huge learning experience that has helped me grow in so many ways. Personally, I'm excited to get this project heard and then start working on the next one.
What would you say people can expect from this release?
- You can expect to hear a snapshot of my life and a formative period of self discovery that you may relate to. Then again it could also be described as a record about dogs & cars.
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