I believe Iāve only said this once this year and that is, āsometimes, itās hard to not write: damn great albumā and have that be the review.
That alone should sometimes be the reason you listen to an album or a band.
Like Agent Cooper in Twin Peaks sentiment about coffee.
Damn good.
No explanation. No lengthy opinion.
Damn good.
That should be enough.
Alas, Pretty Vacant One wouldnāt exist if I only wrote those two words.
So letās deep dive into The Weekend Ritual by Adult Leisure and why I think this is one of the best EPs Iāve heard this year.

First, I know I have a bias towards the bass and the bass in The Weekend Ritual is my favourite thing about the EP. I am absolutely in love with the bass by James Laing. His playing gives each track its own distinctive vibe and feel and his underlying bass sets that tone for each track. I could write an article about just his bass playing alone.
The band says this of The Weekend Ritual,
Weāve always wanted to produce an honest and homegrown debut selection of songs which both showcases our ability as musicians, but also keeps in line with our honest grass roots style. We wanted people to hear us with no filter or 3rd party influence. In an industry where so much is insincere, we wanted to give people us and us alone.
Adult Leisure has cultivated that sincerity and lets it shine throughout The Weekend Ritual.
Kicking off the EP is āHappinessā. Iām immediately hooked by the guitar from David Woolford. His opening riff is pedal to the medal, laying the pavement for the rhythm section of Laing on bass and Nathan Searle on drums to join. The trio crank the volume to eleven and just as they shift into high gear, the bass and drum pull ahead, allowing vocalist, Neil Scott, to step into the spotlight.
Scottās vocals are clean and sharp. As Scott sings, ā…my knees are scratched from the weekend ritualā¦ā I get a Peter Gabriel vibe from his vocals that sends chills up my spine.
The song is upbeat and the music is perfect for speeding down a dark lost highway.
I feel thatĀ āModern Sonā is a foundation song. In that it could have been the song that laid the groundwork for the bandās sound and vibe. The song is strong and trustworthy in technique and sound.
Thereās also nothing not infectious about āModern Sonā. It’s catchy AF. From the beat of the drums, the rhythm of the bass and guitar, and lyrics, the song is a pure hit.
If āHappinessā was the perfect song for speeding down a dark lost highway, then this track is the montage song where the protagonist becomes the hero.
Iām always gonna have a soft spot in my heart for āControlā. It was the song that introduced me to Adult Leisure. As I previously wrote in a review for āControlā, the bass has me clutching my pearls and raising my hand to pray to the bass gods, āhallelujah amenā.
The band says this about the inspiration for the song,
āControlā focuses around an immeasurable love to which itās clear the object of affection isnāt the wisest choice, yet still the lover is drawn ever closer, due to the overwhelming presence the recipient of their adoration has within their life. They are the drug they canāt seem to pry themselves away from. They are hell, yet they are home and this is the battle the lover is having with themselves.
I said it before and Iāll say it again, āControlā has a delectable pop chorus that is oh so sweet to the ear and soul. It infuses the groovy bass and infectious lyrics brilliantly. āControlā is easily one of the best tracks Iāve heard in 2022.
Opening with my favourite bass line of the EP, āI Donāt Want to Talkā is the tune The Beatles wanted to write to break free of that teenage āboy bandā feel while keeping the screaming fans on their side. The song is an absolute jam. Laingās bass is quiet and sultry underneath Searle’s contagious and swaggy beats. Woolfordās guitar and Scottās vocals complete the track by adding a wonderful catchy sing song bop to it.
The last track of The Weekend Ritual was the debut track for Adult Leisure and while I may have a soft spot for āControlā, it is āThings You Donāt Know Yetā that is my favourite.
When I first listened to āThings You Donāt Know Yetā, I immediately thought of the great 80ās bands like Big Country, Tears for Fears, Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD), and Simple Minds.
Itās the way Scott sings combined with the music and the epic chorus that take me back in time to when a song could feel larger than life.
With just a four piece band, āThings You Donāt Know Yetā feels larger than life. What helps is that the song gets stuck in your head and you will find yourself humming it to yourself as you walk to work.
The Weekend Ritual has easily become one of my top EPs of 2022, if not my favourite.Ā
Adult Leisure has nailed honest, raw, and real with perfection in The Weekend Ritual.
Thereās no huff or puff. Just four friends with their musical hearts on the line.
The Weekend Ritual is out 2-December, pre-save it now.