After I shut down my first blog, which had become too popular with RIAA trolls, two bands urged me to continue. One was Drunk Country. The other, Saturna.
Saturna’s debut EP was an inspiration of hook-based shoegazer. And their first full-length, “Some Delicious Enemy,” is even better—mixing dreamy swirls
of contemplation with hard-driving rock and roll in the style of The Kills, The Exit, or even Guns N’ Roses.
And if that all sounds like a big oxymoron, you’re wrong. This band not only makes such an unnatural work, it does so in a most resplendent fashion.
“Pop Rocks” has the grind (and slight vocal distortion) of the best Elastica tunes. “Just for Thrills” is just nasty—in the spirit the Rolling Stones or ACDC, the singer brags about a girl “begging me to f— you senseless†but promises, “I’m never gonna be with you again.†The band has clearly gained focus and swagger in the new release, but is still able to do the Within You/Without You sitar thing on “Leader of the Western.†And of course I really love the dream pop cut, “Blanket of Stars.” In that song you can hear the influence of production contributions from Tony (Dandy Warhols, Stars of Track and Field)
Lash and Brin (Blur, Supergrass, Smashing Pumpkins) Addison, as well as in the even-more-shoegazey stuff like “Roll Down†(which could almost be an Oasis song).
Like most indie rockers, lead singer Ryan Carroll is more about the song than vocal acrobatics. But what he might lack in technical proficiency (he’s not hitting falsettos), he more than makes up for in earnestness. And fun. He just sounds like he’s having fun. In fact, they all do. Eric Block chops out hooks with an almost casual skill, while the drums–the most complex musical aspect of Saturna—relentlessly pound away, building and breaking every song.
For fans of: Oasis, Ride, Love & Rockets, Jesus and the Mary Chain.
