"Song for the Weary" has the slow-motioned crawl of the most tragic of love stories, only Maymind's unsure of its shape, hovering between Appalachian spiritual, deep Southern blues, and even deeper swamp lore. ...More Oldham than Oberst, the album's sincerity towards traditional sounds is its most rewarding attribute.
Clearly though, the prize here lies in the Spanish Prisoner's modest bent for experimentation. "Some Among Them are Killers" and stunning closer "Ballad of an Unfolding," both weave the acoustic with the electronic, making for spooky rustic pop built with scattered beats and digital skree.
The Postal Service or early Califone would be a convenient reference point, but Maymind's fragile voice and imploding structures give off the feeling that it could all topple over with a strong wind. Even his ramshackle attempts at slacker salvos, found in the Pavement (prolly more Silver Jews) inspired "Periwinkle Blues" and "A Thousand Zimmermans," are skinny and skeletal, and that's all part of the charm."
-Kevin Elliott, Donewaiting.com
"I'm interested in being a part of the musical discourse," the 23-year-old singer-songwriter behind Spanish Prisoners said last week as he spoke about his debut CD, set for release Friday at the Basement. ...To Maymind's credit, it's hard to pigeonhole Songs to Forget. "Freak folk" is too easy, "lo-fi" not quite right. He's one of those songwriters who channels a distinct voice in just about any way he pleases, from the gorgeous, melancholy strains of "Song for the Weary" to the mid-period Pavement clatter of "A Thousand Zimmermans."
His closest contemporary is Bright Eyes' Conor Oberst, though one gets the sense Maymind would prefer to be lumped in with the songwriters that influenced them both: Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen and the slew of underground heroes in their wake.
But the Bright Eyes parallels are too keen to ignore. Like Oberst, Maymind is a chameleon, willing to turn to dance beats ("Some Among Them Are Killers"), Delta riffs ("Periwinkle Blues") and tearful screeds ("Ballad of an Unfolding") to get his point across."
-Chris Deville, Columbus Alive, 8/9/2007
"Maymind was assisted by a host of other local talents, but the record’s disparate ideas and kitchen-sink approach are obviously the products of creative freedom (as opposed to consensus). Each of the album’s songs are clustered in varied sonic textures (strings, electronics, strange murky noises, etc.), but at the heart of each is an attention to songcraft. Maymind may alter between neo-folkie and lo-fi tinkerer, but more than anything he’s a singer with a song."
-Stephen Slaybaugh, UWeekly, 8/9/2007
"... upstarts worth keeping an ear on and hearing now, not later: ...Latvian-born Leonid Maymind grew up in New Orleans, but his garage-psych act Spanish Prisoners blends its late-night textures with irregular sounds and a touch of angularity."
-Independent Weekly, Chapel Hill, NC
"Proffering vaguely funky indie-rock anthems with delicate electronic decoration, Ohio's Spanish Prisoners could find fans with those keen to both Death Cab for Cutie and the Postal Service."
-Flagpole Newspaper, Athens, GA
"Leo Maymind of Columbus Ohio's Spanish Prisoners dropped a line that he is currently on tour, heading out east to New York and back. The trip is in celebration of his new CD "Songs to Forget" showcasing his unique brand of indie folk pop, created with various homespun instruments. Maymond's music recalls that sound which is currently going on in some Indiana scenes, such as Muncie/Bloomington. Check him out. And for fans of his music, check out my past articles on the Indiana music scene to hear more great music."
Spanish Prisoners chosen as Critic's Pick for Comfest, 2007.
