So, I'm trying my hand at this review thing for the first time. I'm not a writer by trade, so this will most likely be clumsy.
However, this new album by The Saints is good enough that y'all should at least know about it.
It's available as an import, and when I wrote this, it was available used on Amazon for $15
You can find it here.
Those of you who are familiar with The Saints know that after Ed Kuepper's early departure, the band meandered through a number of styles, usually dominated by horn arrangements rather than the guitar front of the first three records. The songs often effect a melancholy mood, mostly because of Bailey's voice. When they recorded quieter material, it was often somber and introspective. Great stuff for a quiet rainy day, but not anything you'd blast in the car.
Why's all this imortant? It's important because if you've dismissed The Saints, as I suspect many have, then you've got to set aside any prejudices when you listen to the new record. So, what's in store on "Nothing Is Straight In My House?"
The first thing you'll notice depends on whether you just pop in the disc, or whether you read the liner notes. Those who opt for the liner notes will notice a familiar name on guitar: Marty Wilson-Piper. Yup, add one Church member to complement Mr. Bailey's guitar.
When you hit <play>, you'll be hard pressed to find any horns. Everything on here is two guitars, bass, and drums. It's as if Chris Bailey woke up and thought, "It's been a damned long time since I've written and made any rock and roll." This album appears to be his remedy.
The first three tracks, "Porno Movies", "A Madman Wrecked My Happy Home", and the title track all drive with guitar-fuelled gusto. "Digging A Hole" is a laid back song that hearkens to Bailey's introspective bent, but it fits well on this album, probalby because it doesn't define the albums sound, it just provides some contrast.
Two tracks later, they kick up the pace and the volume with "Nylon Pirates". This, to me, is the apex, and I really want to see this one live, it can't be anything less than a show-stopper. The guitars are everywhere, the vocals are strong, both lead and backing (when the band shouts in with the song's title). This one sounds like it could have appeared on "Eternally Yours".
More "return to roots" can be found in "Taking Tea With Aphrodite", which references "Every Day's A Holiday, Every Night's A Party" in of its versus.
The only weak point on here is "Where Is My Monkey?", which is just goofy, and appears to cater to some simian fascination on Bailey's part ("The Monkey Puzzle", "Everybody Knows The Monkey").
As I said, I don't write/review too much, but this album's good enough that folks should check it out.