Recorded in Montreal, sonically Leaving My Empire features more than a few nods to the city’s fertile indie scene, but while the likes of ‘Eleven’ may have the odd hint of Arcade Fire’s grandiose clatter, this is anything but derivitive. Instead, producer Howard Bilerman has helped the five-piece flesh out their unmistakable sound: songs like ‘If Not Now When’ and ‘Fears And Remedies’ see Fred continue to carve out a niche all of their very own. ‘As You See’ (which features a truck-load of surprising hooks) and ‘Trial By Fire’ (which sounds a little bit like a tune from ‘70s-era Sesame Street) vie for contention as the defining moment on the record, but pretty much every track on offer is a joy to listen to. Leaving My Empire is a very fine record indeed.