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Brisbane alt. rockers Battered Fish make their comeback with a new E.P., a new bandmate and a new name. Leo Nine sees the group returning with a more mature sound than Modern, the last Battered Fish recording. 

These are definitely some of the best songs the band has ever released. The album's formula is pretty simple: just two guitars, a bass and drums churning out the noise, but sometimes the simplest songs are the most beautiful. Such is certainly the case on Leo Nine. 
Vocalist Caleb James ebbs and flows sadly with the music, slipping quietly into beautiful choruses, then falling back into whispery verses. The brand new fourth member, Simon Jockel, provides unobtrusive guitar leads, bringing more depth to the songs and 
improving dynamics; making for gut-wrenchingly powerful climaxes to songs like "Easy Now" and "Tied Down." The latter, being the album finale, makes for a stunning conclusion to the E.P., though it will probably leave you lamenting: 

'Why is this album so short?!' 

Eric Daams  7/28/2001