***Cleveland's PLEASURE LEFTISTS return with The Gate, a new ten song album of cathartic, riveting post-punk excellence. The long-running group, comprised of veteran players in the Clevo scene, have turned in what is arguably their best recorded output—and the first since 2015's The Woods of Heaven. For The Gate, PL ventured out to Portland, OR in March 2019 to record on tape with STAN WRIGHT (Arctic Flowers)—and the results are massive. Those familiar with previous PL material will immediately feel reacquainted with the group's masterful arrangements and cool, confident execution—a style that draws from the early British post-punk classics on labels like 4AD and Factory Records, but retains an organic, original sound that few contemporary acts harness. While The Gate undoubtedly benefits from the best studio sound of any PL release to date, the musicianship is what makes this album feel like an absolutely classic piece of work. The tones are perfect—almost as though Greg Sage dialed them in for a Wipers record. You'll immediately be taken by HALEY MORRIS' vocal range and projection, which shines across the entire album and is absolute next level work. The sheer artistic quality of the songwriting is propelled along in perfect rhythm, as the guitar and bass play off of each other wonderfully.