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Well
into the twenty-first century, the Pacific northwestern area still
produces some of the best music in the country. The early alternative
rock movement in the very early 1990s jammed the region’s first
stake into the soil, claiming the sister cities of Seattle and Portland
as fertile grounds for new music. Stepping forward with a fresh foot
is Saturna, a three-piece that was founded in Portland but now divides
its residence between Oregon and Seattle. The debut EP, …All
Night, is the nighttime companion for any pair of ears on the move.
The urban landscape, twinkling in all its skyscraper-to-the-streetlight
fiery glory, is captivated in five new tracks from a band with a large
stock of experience in tow.
Basement production and multi-instrumentalists may appear often in
modern indie rock bands, but Saturna contains years upon years of
roadie, tech, and engineering experience, as well as music journalism
and computer programming – important perspectives not often
found from under the stage lights. Ryan Carroll steps forward with
lead vocals, guitar, and bass, and Eric Block with lead guitars and
percussion. Unlike most self-produced records, the job done by band
member Steve-O equips …All Night’s intricate layering
with an attractive polished surface. Having their own hands on the
controls, Saturna’s record turned out to be a compilation of
five songs that have been tweaked and reworked to reach a point of
true completion. On his very own, Steve-O could clone himself and
be a band entirely, as he lends guitar, bass, drums, and vocals to
the mix in addition to his job as an audio engineer. Ultimately, spending
many years learning to understand another band’s sonic desires
and helping them to convey that sound has come in handy, …All
Night is large and symphonic.
Songs on the record are not hard concepts, but flow with ease from
one into the other. The opener, “Springboard,” is exactly
that; an instrumental short at exactly three minutes, there’s
a timelessness to the song, as it can be inserted anywhere within
the record and still make perfect sense. “Pop Rocks” explodes
with the influence of the best music of the last twenty years, paying
homage to everything from Love & Rockets to Black Rebel Motorcycle
Club. Fuzz, rhythm, and ferocious guitar are sharp and driving, and
will solidify your attention upon first listen. The louder, the faster…the
better. Songs such as this, or the following ethereality of “Chasing
The Unpredictable” are what separate the music listeners from
the music lovers, as the latter will find themselves mesmerized by
the endless layers of sound that develop upon repeated spins.
Travel is an important factor in Saturna’s songwriting. Within
the last five years, visits have included India, Thailand, Vietnam,
Japan, Italy, Spain, Belgium, Morocco, Cambodia, El Salvador, Guatemala,
Belize, Pakistan, Kashmir, Mexico, England, France, Holland, and Canada.
The experience of cultural variety and ability to have stepped outside
of their element time and time again has a resounding influence on
Saturna’s sound, showing years of promise. Not a band that was
thrown together on a whim, nor comprised of three guys that simply
love to make music but lack the years of experience and collaboration,
Saturna is a trio of eclectic, talented musicians who have stood just
outside of the spotlight until their instincts told them that it was
time to form the band they’d always wanted. Currently planning
to release a debut full-length record in 2007, the release of …All
Night marks an incredible new sound from one of the most reputable
and artistic corners of the country. |
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