Saint Blonde - '...with little ease' Album Review
Tracklist:
…with Little Ease
smooth talkin’
dirty $$$
prowl
trendsetter
swimming lessons
grand slam
gimme my flowers
playing For keeps
chainwhip
worms
fall Like dominos
bail out!
Texan band Saint Blonde have just released their debut album on Pale Chord and Rise BMG Records. The indie rockers have described it as a Quentin Tarantino heist movie gone wrong and I understand why, it has the same elements of coolness, of chaos and of style.
Its an album bursting with energy, with melody, with punk attitude and with a feeling of relief that it’s finally here as it’s been a number of years in the making.
Dealing with themes of aggression, confusion, the state of the world and how hard it is to move forwards in life it’s a mostly cohesive record which has elements of a number of other bands in there but it’s never a parody or homage, it’s very much the sound of a band finding themselves and working out who they really are.
Lead singer Hunter Fitch has a great indie rock voice, expressive yet, when he needs it to be, restrained. Other times he cuts loose and you can feel there is a powerful voice in there capable of pushing it’s boundaries. He has great range and an ability to convey emotion which will help as they continue to push their boundaries.
The band are tight and produce a melodic, hook ridden, sound that clearly owes some debt to punk but also to The Stokes, The Killers and, this will confuse you but I think it’s in there, Avril Lavigne.
There is a bit of an early 90’s sensibility that infuses a number of the songs. I think the reason I’ve not given it five is I don’t think they’ve written their 'Mr Brightside' or 'Last Nite' yet. There are a lot of great songs which I enjoyed listening to but there wasn’t one that pushed me to keep listening to it again and again. As an album it’s worth repeated listens and it works as a body of work but I don’t think it’s quite as good as it could be, it felt a little bit too polished at times, a little too overthought.
The thing is all the elements are there for them to break big, I think it’s just a matter of time until they write their generational anthem and they become massive but until they do this album is a great introduction to who they are and what they are capable of. It should do well and give them the springboard to blow us all away. I look forward to hearing that song or songs but meantime this is a great album that is going to win them new fans and keep them moving forwards.
They are in tour in the States later this year which should be good but I don’t know if there are any plans for a UK or European tour. If that changes this will be worth hearing live and should start their rise to the top.
Review - Iain McClay
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