LEEROY STAGGER - Beautiful House

In recent years, the Canadian scene has established itself as one of the most prolific breeding grounds for artists of genuine caliber. Lost amid the crowd, newcomer Leeroy Stagger, a singer-songwriter by trade, timidly emerges with this "Beautiful House", released on the small Boompa label (which is precisely why it's ended up almost completely overlooked here in Italy).

Stagger sets himself a single goal: to try and write good songs, content with giving tradition a slight contemporary spin, updating its sound through the use of a few indie-tinged electric guitars. "Just in Case", the opening track and one of the best on the whole record, showcases a simple, crystalline melody, relaxed over well-measured folk-rock guitars, with a few piano notes and electric guitar enriching and modernizing the song. Indie-rock impulses instead take center stage on "Sweet Amphetamine", a pulsing rocker. Truth be told, the instrumental work doesn't really deserve top billing here (though the track itself is far from unpleasant): it's on the melodies that this Canadian stakes his claim.

And clear proof of their quality comes with the title-track: a classic slow country-rock number, complete with slide guitar and banjo accompaniment, that hits on an immediate hook that feels like you've always known it, and that sticks firmly in your head. Things get even better when everything clicks into place and the instruments abandon mere functionality to actually shape the song. That's the case with "Stupid Love Song", whose lovely melody is enlivened by lively horn flourishes, a few claps, and keyboard touches, with the electric guitar painting in the background; and with "In the Night", a nocturnal, melodramatic rock anthem. These are the standout tracks, but what really keeps the quality level high are the other songs: you almost never run into a weak or mediocre moment.

The record is a concentrate of grace, and the variations serve to keep the attention steady: from the heartfelt "Let Her Down", which travels a long way charged with tension, just guitar and voice, before dissolving into a rocking instrumental release; to the acoustic "House of Sin" with its country veins; all the way to closing the record with the sweet love serenade "Sweet Liza Jane": every song explores a worthy idea, and finds its reason for being right there.

There's nothing more to say. "Beautiful House" is one of those records that do the heart good, ideal for a lazy afternoon, for a car ride, to accompany a moment of relaxation: a listen that demands no effort and yet is warm and able to strike a chord. Music is also, and above all, this.

Ride the wave of great music

Add OndaRock to your favorite sources on Google Discover. Don't miss our reviews, milestones and latest news straight in your feed.

Follow on Google

30/04/2026