The Leaf Library - After The Rain, Strange Seeds

The Leaf Library return with After The Rain, Strange Seeds, a luminous and finely detailed collection that distils their melodic instincts into their most immediate work to date. Rooted in themes of memory, place and perception, the album drifts through half-remembered scenes and fleeting moments, where suburban landscapes and shifting weather take on a gently surreal charge.

Chiming guitars, buzzing organs and soft-edged strings shape a sound that nods to contemplative indiepop and motorik pop traditions, while remaining unmistakably their own. Mixed by John McEntire, the record captures a natural warmth and intimacy, bringing the band’s careful arrangements closer to the way they sound live.

Lyrically vivid yet elliptical, the songs circle around specific images — midsummer heat, dusk settling in, birds wheeling above motorways — creating an atmosphere that is subtly unsettling but never austere. The title reflects this balance: a sense of strangeness tempered by optimism and renewal.

Expanded by a close-knit circle of collaborators, including returning string arrangements and understated instrumental flourishes, After The Rain, Strange Seeds stands as The Leaf Library’s most assured and affecting album so far.