Saints – “Dark Country” [single]
by Jeanie Straub
I should preface this review with the confession that I was already a HUGE fan of Saints, and that they are my favorite local band, as well as way up there on my national list. I am a Saints groupie. That said, this new single is absolutely my favorite Saints tune EVER. It is a Techno Dance tune that features an awesome bass line pulling it right along. It sounds very much like a hit. Says one of my co-workers, who is a huge music lover: “That’s what a single should sound like. Everyone: Pay attention.”
The background on the band: Saints was started by two Scottish brothers, Rob and Lewi Gault, who had relocated to Denver. After Rob met Blaine Schult through a friend, Blaine became the third and final full-time member of Saints in 2008. They started to play out in Denver and surrounding areas, eventually opening for bands like the Flobots, Chevelle, and Smashing Pumpkins. They released Saints EP in 2009. The best description of their band at the time would be a local version of Brit Pop –Denver, but still a very slick-sounding European.
This new single is a departure, with a deep and dark, almost evil-angelic sound that came after Rob was laid off from his day job. They explain: “After a short period of reflection, he started to write from a darker, more cynical place and the result was a new batch of songs that came not only with a healthy pinch of frustration and honesty, but also wrapped in a new bigger yet more composed and controlled sound. Not the triumphant stadium guitar of the previous releases, but instead a more assured, cool and measured delivery.” The new single has a great video to go along with it that overlays lead man Rob with a red background like Satan overlooking individual white game pieces – the lyrics sound pretty black, if I didn’t mention that before. (The video was originally part of Saints’ live set-up featuring videos running in sync with the songs. They just overlaid Rob’s face. See it here: http://tinyurl.com/saintsvideodarkcountry. Finally, to answer one potential question: Is the sound of “Dark Country” kind of commercial? OK, maybe. It has great energy, though.
Category: A-Sides
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