Leisure - Twister

Smooth, sun-warmed and quietly addictive, Twister is the second album from New Zealand collective Leisure, pressed on 140-gram black vinyl.

Leisure began as a casual writing holiday at a beach house in Muriwai, on the wild west coast near Auckland, where a group of friends from the local music scene jammed and recorded together. Those sessions produced the slow-burning breakout "Got It Bad", and by 2019 the band had built a big international audience without ever chasing the spotlight. They write, play, sing and produce everything themselves, with every member able to swap instruments.

Twister keeps the funk-inspired rhythms, soft-focus synths and blue-eyed soul of their debut while adding a darker streak of electric guitar and deeper drums. "Too Much of a Good Thing", "Man" and "On My Mind" show off the formula at its best: proper pop hooks delivered with a deliberately understated touch, never pushing the volume to grab your attention.

Every song feels unhurried, crafted for long drives, late sunsets and evenings that stretch on a little longer than planned.

For fans of breezy, groove-first pop with a soulful heart and a touch of yacht-rock polish, it's an easy record to fall for and an even easier one to leave spinning all afternoon.