For "Outside
Guiding Lights"
by
John D. Luerssen, All Music Guide
by
Rick Cornell, The Music Monitor
by Jason MacNeil, PopMatters.com
by
Shawn M. Haney, Southeast Performer
by Mike Bennett, Fufkin.com
by
Eric Sorensen, Fufkin.com
by
Beverly Paterson, Twist and Shake
by
Lance Looper, High Bias
by
Jeri Rowe, Go Triad
by
Ed Bumgardner, Relish
by Jon Stickley, Swizzle-Stick.com
For "These Stars
Are For You"
by Fred Mills, Magnet
by Ed Bumgardner,
Winston Salem Journal
by Ken King,
Junkmedia.com
by Kevin Matthews, Fufkin.com
by Mark Deming,
AMG All Music Guide
by
Rick Cornell, The Music Monitor
by rockandrollgirl,
South Of Mainstream
by Lee Zimmerman,
Amplifier Magazine
by Michael Toland,
High Bias
THE
SAVING GRACES These Stars Are For You EP
Who said well-crafted, heartfelt jangly pop was a dying
artform? Granted, the genre took quite a drubbing (at
the hands of grunge-encrusted hard rockers, lo-fier-than-thou
indie chumps and rap-metal mooks) throughout the ‘90s.
As Mitch Easter himself told me awhile back, “Anybody
that came out with Rickenbackers by about ’89 was
asking to get their asses kicked.” But hey, a lot
of us still wear our love of a good pop melody like a
badge of honor.
Which makes receipt of such a -- not to put too fine
a point on things – kickass little record such as
this one all the more badge-worthy. There’s the
brash, anthemic chug of “Girl Automatic,” a
budding powerpop classic if I’ve ever heard one
and a stylistic/lyrical successor to Tommy Tutone’s
eternally swell “867-5309 (Jenny).” For that
matter, as long as we’re talking powerpop, “The
Things That Make You Strange” has a meaty crunch
straight outta Cheap Trick-land (or, for a more obscure
ref, Memphis legends The Scruffs), and when vocalist
Michael Slawter yelps “Aww-rite!” at the end
of one verse, it’s a Paul McCartney raveup moment
worth savoring. The combo’s equally adept at taking
things down a notch, with the lush, dreamy “Song
For Anyone Else” in particular standing out thanks
to the reassuring acoustic-strum buzz, plangent electric
licks and gently poignant piano lines. Bottom line: you’re
in good hands, pop lovers, with the Saving Graces. This
EP’s five tuneful stars are indeed for you.
--Fred Mills
-----------------------------------------------------------------
The
Saving Graces These Stars Are For You
Paisley Pop. 3 out of 4 stars.
The reason that Neidermeyer was one of Winston-Salem's
most promising young bands was the tension between Michael
Slawter's power-pop leanings and guitarist Art Gormley's
more abstract glam-punk stylings.
As is often the case, creative tensions dissolved into
personal tensions and Neidermeyer split, leaving Gormley
to work in the edgier Skin Club and Slawter to form The
Saving Graces, a band that has just released its debut
EP, These Stars Are For You.
The five-song disc makes the best of Slawter's pronounced
skill at matching contagious melodies with big-hook choruses
that explode on impact. Neidermeyer fans may be surprised
at the more subdued nature of many of the songs; only "Girl
Automatic" - a hit single waiting to happen - bears
traces of the drive of his former band.
Slawter's new songs are more airy and organized and
the arrangements more dynamic, thus allowing evocative
melodies room to fully develop and attract the attention
they deserve. When everything clicks, as on "Song
For Anyone Else" and "The Things That Make
Me Strange," the result is pure pop pleasure.
Still, there is a sense that Slawter, though a vastly
improved songwriter, has still not completely found his
voice. Several songs are written in keys that make Slawter
strain to sing - something that producers D. Henry Fenton
and Britt "Snuzz" Uzzell should have rectified.
The producers didn't do drummer John Holoman, a great
aggressive drummer, any favors; rather than play to Holoman's
obvious strengths, the drums are buried in the mix. And
such songs as "Sad Golden Waves Goodbye," though
catchy enough, rely on arrangements that are predictable
to the point of cliche.
Still, These Stars Are For You marks another big step
forward for Slawter and stands as a disc that any fan
of power pop should enjoy.
--Ed Bumgardner, Winston-Salem Journal
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The
Saving Graces These Stars Are For You
Paisley Pop Records, 2003
An underutilized musical format, to my mind, is the
EP. Too many albums, I offer most humbly have at best
an EP's worth of worthy material, or, if the file-sharing
statistics are any indication, perhaps one worthy song
at best.
These Stars are for You by The Saving Graces
are an excellent example of an introduction for a band
that can be provided through an EP format. Five excellent
songs in the 1970s-radio friendly pop-rock genre are
given a 2000s-era overhaul for the current generation
of music fans. "Girl Automatic" has enough pop rock hooks
to snare a creel of pop-rock fish, with Who-ish power
chords played against a voice plangent in both of that
word's meanings: loud, resounding and suggestive
of sadness
"Idiot Proof" displays a fine folkish melody, sing-along
chorus, pristine acoustic guitar accompaniment. "The
Things that Make you Strange" (great title, that one)
uses an insistent "Day Tripper-esque" guitar riff that
complements vocalist Michael Slawter's urgent delivery
on the things in life that do, indeed, make one strange. "Sad
Golden Goodbye" manages that greatest of pop rock tricks:
a sad sound that does not sound smarmy, sappy, or contrived.
The genuine sadness in the lyric is supported likewise
by an appropriate melancholy melody, but with enough
pop songwriting savvy to make it go down like ice tea
on a hot summer day. Bassist Drew Jenkins and Drummer
John Holoman complement Slawter's various musical visions
with a rhythmic foundation that sounds well-rehearsed
yet fresh, supporting the songs in a manner that suggests
a growing and evolving band at work.
The mixture of upbeat songs and balladry; acoustic and
electric instrumentation, aggressiveness and introspection
offers what seems to be a comprehensive introduction
to the band. In terms of introductory EPs, These Stars
are for You is one of the best I've run across since
R. E. M.'s Chronic Town a couple of decades back.
Not implying that they sound anything like the R.E.M.
machine, but the overall consistency of vision is similar.
Hopefully, we will see in The Saving Graces a similar
commitment to mature pop rock over the next few decades,
starting soon with a full-fledged album. In the meantime,
I'm looking forward to These Stars are for You to
get me through the summer. The Saving Graces These
Stars are for You Paisley Pop Records, 2003.
--Ken King, www.junkmedia.org
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The Saving
Graces These Stars Are For You
The Graces alternate between brazen rave-ups, breezy
pop and baroque folk shoegaze. Okay, the first two you
know. As for the last, the beautiful “Song For
Anyone Else” recalls the Pernice Brothers, Starflyer
59 and Neil Young’s “Expecting To Fly.” No
mean feat! Elsewhere, “Idiot Proof” is effervescent, “The
Things That Make You Strange” is pure Kinks, “Girl
Automatic” is classic Cheap Trick whilst “Sad
Golden Waves Goodbye” is certainly imbued with
the glimmering melancholy of Big Star. Don’t mean
to quibble but I would love to see the Graces pursue
the direction of that lovely opener. A good start nonetheless.
--Kevin Matthews, Fufkin.com
-----------------------------------------------------------------
The Saving
Graces These Stars Are For You
Yes, pop bands still sprout like dandelions in Winston-Salem,
North Carolina, and the debut EP from The Saving Graces
demonstrates that the current crop is sounding nearly
as good as the hardy perennials from the past. Led by
former Neidermeyer frontman Michael Slawter, The Saving
Graces are able to shift gears from the sophisticated
grace of "Song For Anyone Else" to the lean,
spunky energy of "The Things That Make You Strange" without
stalling out or putting too much strain on the clutch,
while Slawter's estimable guitar and vocal abilities
get a first class assist from bassist Drew Jenkins and
drummer John Holoman. The production (by Slawter with
D. Henry Fenton and Britt Uzzell) is polished and savvy
but still reveals a keen edge, documenting a band with
both hooky smarts and a rock and roll heart. These Stars
Are For You is a promising calling card for The Saving
Graces, and hopefully they have enough where this came
from for a full-length release sometime soon.
--Mark Deming, AMG All Music Guide
-----------------------------------------------------------------
The
Saving Graces These Stars Are For You
An EP represents the initial offering from a promising
North Carolina band. "Song For Anyone Else," the
opening cut on the Saving Graces' five-song These
Stars Are For You, hails from the subtle side
of power pop, with hooks that quietly register instead
of knocking you down, putting their knees on your chest,
and force-feeding you Sweet Tarts. That more demonstative
sonic attack is saved for tune number two, the extra-catchy "Girl
Automatic," while "Sad Golden Waves" and "Idiot
Proof" own the spot smack between atmospheric
and over the top. Closing out this debut is "The
Things That Make You Strange," which spotlights
this Winston-Salem trio's Cheap Trick/Material Issue
side.
This EP manages to do what any musical appetizer should
do: convince me that I need to be on the lookout for
the full-length release and for the next time the band
play in my town.
--Rick Cornell, The Music Monitor
-----------------------------------------------------------------
The
Saving Graces These Stars Are For You (4
stars)
Picture this: It’s a laid back Saturday, you’re
in the car with friends heading to a favorite weekend
getaway, windows down, and The Saving Graces are playing
sweet, catchy melodies through the speakers. You find
yourself singing along, and repeating certain songs over
and over just to hear that one verse that pierces your
little heartstrings and keeps you wanting more. This
is what The Saving Graces do to you with their debut
EP These Stars Are For You.
The first track, "Song for Anyone Else", is
a clincher. Keen melodies, heartfelt lyrics, gentle electric
guitar, mixed with great drum and bass styling and smooth
vocals bring an almost lounge like, pop/rock feeling
to the song. I found myself listening to this track over
and over.
The rest of the EP continues on this “must listen” path;
track two "Girl Automatic" is upbeat and a
fun listen. Track three gives a more melancholy air,
with nearly a folk rock feel, resembling the Wallflowers.
Track four and five are a mixture of both the pop and
folk feeling. The EP as a whole is a good listen.
The Saving Graces are a talented band and These Stars
Are For You is proof of their skill. I can tell that
they are still trying to feel out their genre and find
their “niche” so to speak, but they have
made a very good EP and I think this will lead them to
bigger and better things. Bravo.
--rockandrollgirl,
South Of Mainstream
-----------------------------------------------------------------
The
Saving Graces These Stars Are For You
Paisley Pop (paisleypop.com)
Despite its length - a mere five songs - These Stars Are
for You may be, tune for tune, the best 19 minutes
and 6 seconds of music you may hear all year.
Sound like an exaggeration? But the proof's in the
hearing and each of these engaging melodies begs for
a replay - and then another and then another after
that. It's one of those collections that is so hauntingly
familiar you feel instantly sucked in - and yet it's
so fresh and vibrant it immediately stands out
from the competition. The affect is instantaneous and
unyielding, from the soaring choruses of "Song
for Anyone Else" and its unceasingly vibrant follow-up "Girl
Automatic;' through the melodic strains of "Sad
Golden Waves Goodbye" and "Idiot Proof,'
and on to the final pay-off, the riveting and reverberating "The
Things That Make You Strange" Great hooks, wonderful
melodies, superb arrangements - what more could you
ask for? As the saying goes, it's all in the Stars.
-LEE ZIMMERMAN, Amplifier Magazine
-----------------------------------------------------------------
THE
SAVING GRACES These Stars Are For You
(Paisley Pop)
Winston-Salem, N.C.'s Saving Graces play jangly power pop the old-fashioned
way, so much so that there's a certain sameness to this EP—after
all, the band delivers exactly what fans of this stuff expect. Traditionalist
power poppers rise and fall on the strength of the songs, and fortunately
leader Michael Slawter comes through with melodic, sincere tunes like "Girl
Automatic," "The Things That Make You Strange" and "Sad
Golden Waves Goodbye."
--Michael
Toland, High Bias
-----------------------------------------------------------------
THE
SAVING GRACES Outside Guiding Lights
Label: Paisley Pop
*3 Stars (out of 4)
If you like: Confectionery power-pop
Song to download: "Faster Than the Speed of Life"
Michael Slawter has finally made the album that he has
long wanted to make. Slawter is a dogged presence on
the Winston-Salem music scene. For nearly 20 years, he
has slowly worked his way through various combinations
of musicians to mixed results - largely the result of
Slawter's unwillingness to nurture visions beyond his
own that would color and broaden the sound of the band.
Years of wasted potential disappear with Outside Guiding
Lights, the first proper disc by The Saving Graces, a
band in every sense of the word, at least in terms of
the sonic contributions by other band members. It is
hard to imagine the opening cut, "Giving Up The
Ghost," without the unobtrusive, propelling thunder
of drummer John Holoman, whose steadfast and imaginative
playing is at the heart of this disc.
Slawter's songs and arrangements contain a nagging familiarity
that threatens to betray influences but never does. Each
song is melodically strong and has the capability to
snag a willing listener. But the glue that holds interest
is the band - guest guitarist Jay Manley lends nice and
necessary splashes of color - and the sharp, restrained
production and playing of Jamie Hoover (The Spongetones).
- Ed Bumgardner, Relish
-----------------------------------------------------------------
THE
SAVING GRACES Outside Guiding Lights
Paisley Pop Label
*4 Stars (out of 5)
Michael Slawter has quite the ear. Last year, he pulled
together the Let’s Active tribute by recruiting
musicians from all over the world to play on this ode
to Mitch Easter, one of the Twin City’s favorite
musical sons.
Now, this Winston-Salem native has released "Outside
Guid-ing Lights," his first full-length CD with
his new band, The Saving Graces. These three guys — Slawter
on guitar and vocals, Drew Jenkins on bass and John Holoman
on drums (all graduates of R.J. Reynolds High School,
mind you) — have produced a beautiful piece of
hummable power pop. They’ll showcase it Friday
during their release party at The Garage.
Slawter, the group’s songwriter, grew up listening
to the necessary musical triumvirate of the 1980s: R.E.M.,
The Replacements and Husker Du. But, I swear, listening
to Slawter’s comfortable tenor reminds me of a
young Glenn Tilbrook when he sings the CD’s 11
tunes, which makes The Saving Graces sound like a harder-edged
Squeeze.
Maybe it’s the guy behind the board, Jamie Hoover,
the magic man of The Spongetones. Maybe it’s the
sitar on the handful of tracks. Or maybe it’s the
tight, lilting harmonies by Slawter and Jenkins. But
whatever the case, "Outside Guiding Lights" shimmers
with the musical sensibilities of a guy who writes on
his acoustic guitar in his living room and composes tunes
about a man’s frustration in "Southern Gothic
Sound," sexual tension in "Giving Up the Ghost" and
his own 3-year-old son, James, in "Outside Guiding
Lights."
Yes, Slawter has quite the ear. And yes, he’s
a talent.
— Jeri Rowe, GO Triad
-----------------------------------------------------------------
THE
SAVING GRACES Outside Guiding Lights
Outside Guiding Lights - by Paisley Pop artists the
Saving Graces. After last year's CD-EP, this full-length
disc ought to put this band on the map! The disc is produced
by Jamie Hoover, and there are jangly guitars throughout
the tracks. Lead vocalist Michael Slawter's voice reminds
me of Evan Dando of the Lemonheads; hence; the songs
have a Lemonheads' ring to them. "Southern Gothic
Sound," like other tracks, pays a nod to REM - the
band that put 80s Southern pop on the map. With the talent
they display on Outside Guiding Lights, the Saving Graces
ought to keep Southern pop on the map for another decade!
- Eric Sorenson, Fufkin.com
-----------------------------------------------------------------
THE
SAVING GRACES Outside Guiding Lights
The Saving Graces are truly one of the best bands prowling
the circuit these days, and their most recent album, "Outside
Guiding Lights," is a stone cold testimony to their
deftness. A hard edged pop rock finish caps the material
here, which occasionally mirrors that of prized acts
such as Cheap Trick, The Knack and The Plimsouls. Relying
on guitars, bass and drums, The Saving Graces obviously
don't need silly gimmicks to make their presence known.
Each song on "Outside Guiding Lights" is straight
ahead and honest. Crunchy riffs, paired with bold vocals
that every once in a while let loose a southern fried
tenor tend to be main ingredients in the music of The
Saving Graces. "Outside Guiding Lights" is
also wired tight with hooks that are strong and pronounced,
allowing the tunes to be lively and memorable. As well,
the record was produced by Jamie Hoover, whose knob-twiddling
techniques always add something special to the brew. "Outside
Guiding Lights" is indeed an album you can purchase
with confidence.
- Beverly Paterson, Twist and Shake
-----------------------------------------------------------------
THE
SAVING GRACES Outside Guiding Lights
Outside Guiding Lights is the first full-fledged album
from former Neidermeyer fronter Michael Slawter and his
band of merry misfits. Glossy, sleek songs run rampant
on this ultra-pop record, and that's cool. The disc sets
expectations early with "Giving up the Ghost," an
awesome song with enough energy to carry several albums.
This collection of Slawter-penned songs conveys a sensibility
just a shade deeper than expected, especially on "Southern
Gothic Sound" and "Why Don't You Cry." Pop
fans should rejoice the arrival of the Saving Graces.
- Lance Looper, High Bias
-----------------------------------------------------------------
THE
SAVING GRACES Outside Guiding Lights
North Carolina's the Saving Graces make Winston-Salem
proud with Outside Guiding Lights, a fine example of
American power pop that routinely fuses elements of the
dB's and the Plimsouls. With singer/songwriter Michael
Slawter at the helm, the group renders hook-laden standouts
like the punky, rumbling "Giving Up the Ghost" and
the gorgeous, shimmering "Faster Than the Speed
of Life." With the witty, insanely catchy "I
Belong to the Jet Set World," Slawter gets dumped
when his social-climbing girlfriend leaves for the hip
Motor City — land of the White Stripes and the
Von Bondies. While the Graces don't always succeed (the
Blur-meets-Smithereens feel of "Kennedy Whispers" is
pretty dull), the jangly goodness of "Southern Gothic
Sound" and the wicked title cut, which magically
builds its hook with a sitar, are out of sight.
- John D. Luerssen, All Music Guide
-----------------------------------------------------------------
THE
SAVING GRACES Outside Guiding Lights
The Saving Graces saved their hard-earned grace to give
to us listeners in this graceful light rock album. Currently
a trio of Michael Slawter (guitars/vox), Drew Jenkins
(bass/vox) and John Holoman (drums), the Graces bring
in three special guests (Jay Manley, Jamie Hoover, and
Ed James) to add a much needed extra dynamic to the band
setting. Signed to the Paisley Pop Label based in Portland,
Oregon, this group has a well-defined sound, a collection
of simple, yet convincing rock anthems. The harmonies
between singers Slawter and Jenkins are strong and clear,
with Holoman bringing the group together in cohesive
fashion with striking percussion statements. "I
Belong to the Jet Set World" carries well with a
powerful climax to bring the song to a close. Hoover
adds color and texture in a positive way with bright
banjos on "Outside Guiding Lights." The arrangements
of each of these songs are quite exceptional and keep
the abundance of ideas afloat. There are other highlights
to the songcraft of this material, including dazzling "na,
na, na's" and helpful reinforcing call and response
vocals among the singers to add benefit to the overall
power of each song. "Kennedy Whispers" possesses
gripping guitar hooks and an easily understood chorus.
One detail that is important is found in the titles of
these songs. Each one is unique and catchy, and at times
quite eclectic, such as in the case of "Safety in
Numbers" and "Southern Gothic Sound," as
with the songs previously mentioned. Overall, the final
product of this album is smooth in production and sound,
the songs are solid rock numbers, revealing a band going
in the right direction. Hopefully, the new material the
Saving Graces will come up with for their follow-up in
the confines of Hooverama will reflect that. Let's see
how they turn the corner, gracing the outside guiding
lights. (Paisley Pop)
-Shawn M. Haney, Southeast Performer
-----------------------------------------------------------------
THE
SAVING GRACES Outside Guiding Lights
Just one song in on their full-length debut Outside
Guiding Lights, Winston-Salem's the Saving Graces make
it clear that they know the power pop drill. "Giving
Up the Ghost" has hooks both numerous and side-of-beef
sturdy, a sing-along chorus, chummy vocals, and a host
of intangibles that can't be learned but instead must
be absorbed by sleeping with a copy of Cheap Trick at
Budokan under your pillow until the age of 17. Beginner's
luck, you scoff, always the skeptic. Then "Faster
Than the Speed of Life" hits, all beeping Casio
and titularly appropriate speeding guitars, and you think,
'Sure, okay, they top-loaded the record.' But after songs
3 and 4, "I Belong to the Jet Set World" and
the title track, you are a card-carrying believer. Not
that they need them, but the Saving Graces get bonus
points for working with longtime Notes From Home favorite
Jamie Hoover (who produced and added such left-field,
but ultimately perfect, touches as lap steel, guitar
sitar, banjo, and mandolin) and with Portland Oregon's
top-notch Paisley Pop Label. And to top it off, the trio
of saviors—guitarist/vocalist/songwriter Michael
Slawter, bassist Drew Jenkins, and drummer John Holoman—look
like the kind of guys with whom you could retire to the
local sports bar for a playoff game and a couple of cold
ones.
-Rick Cornell, Music Monitor
-----------------------------------------------------------------
THE
SAVING GRACES Outside Guiding Lights
First impression
Remember that band Over the Rhine?
Where you’re likely to hear this CD
Unless you're a reviewer, you won't.
Song you should pick to play on the jukebox
You're safe with any of the first five.
Drinking Partners
the Records, the Posies, Rascal Flatts
The Morning After
Ah power pop, that half-forgotten sub-genre of rock inextricably
linked to new wave by dint of it's taste in neckwear.
How have you been? Oh, sorry to hear that.
Winston-Salem trio the Saving Graces favor the sounds
of late-70s English Byrds fans and American anglophiles:
slightly overdriven guitars crunch away politely under
melodic jangle and saccharine vocals while the rhythm
section manages to keep things brisk but unhurried through
the first five tracks. Head Grace Michael Slawter offsets
the by-the-numbers arrangements with appealing vocals
and some neat guitar work ("I Belong to the Jet
Set World") that almost push the songs past the
merely pedestrian. Too bad he never quite manages that
one shoulda-been hit (the one that pops up years later
on a Rhino box set) before the halfway mark when the
CD inexplicably settles into a "new country" sound.
-Jon Stickley, Swizzle-Stick.com
----------------------------------------------------------------- THE
SAVING GRACES Outside Guiding Lights
A
little pure pop, some jangle rock and it's all played
with a gloss that is at times Anglophile and at
times seems to be in the vein of some Down Under artists.
The Graces are blessed to have an esteemed producer
in the person of Spongetones' main guy Jamie Hoover.
Guitarist
Michael Slawter writes the songs and then sings them
with the voice of an American trying to sound British,
in the manner of folks like Cliff (Off Broadway) Johnson
and the late Jim Ellison. Slawter knows how to build
big choruses that deliver strong hooks. A fine example
of this is, appropriately enough, "I Feel Fine".
The song flows from the verse to the bridge into a chorus,
building each step of the way, riding a basic rhythm
and a bevy of guitars. They make writing a spiffy tune
seem simple. At times, the music is very direct and basic,
adding a vague punk edge to the proceedings. This comes
forward on the mid-tempo "Kennedy Whispers",
which reminds me a little bit of Absolute Grey and Newtown
Neurotics -- Slawter's vocal bespeaks a certain intensity
and has a real ‘normal guy' quality that is very
endearing. Near the end of the disc, there are a couple
of songs that sound like quintessential college radio,
circa 1984 -- "Why Don't You Cry" and "My
Worst Critic" fit right in with early R.E.M., Wire
Train, The Connells and the like. And the band works
a riff to the fullest on "I Belong to The Jet Set
World". This is a charmer of a disc, that is blends
a professional approach with an organic rawness that
I find appealing.
-Mike Bennett, Fufkin.com
-----------------------------------------------------------------
THE
SAVING GRACES Outside Guiding Lights
The Saving Graces are from Winson-Salem, North Carolina.
And they pop! They pop hard! Good golly, I mean they
can pop out with the best bands around. Needless
to say then this isn't the all gloss, no substance
pop
that has saturated radio conglomerates for the last
decade or so. This is the type of style that never grows
tired
no matter how long it's been done by hundreds of relatively
obscure power pop/punk acts. The trio of singer Michael
Slawter, bassist and backing vocalist Drew Jenkins,
and drummer John Holman has been compared to the the
Records
as well as the Plimsouls. Whoever they're compared
to, they can certainly stand on their own with this sleeper
pick.
Groups like Big Star and Perfect come to mind from the
first notes of "Giving Up the Ghost", a play-by-numbers
power pop song that has a different, off-kilter hook
in the chorus that gives it a slightly different groove. "I
know she's looking for the camera / I know she's giving
up the ghost," Slawter sings before they get back
into the suffocatingly tight arrangement. Any garage
band worth their salt should be able to churn this out,
but few could do it with as much verve. This continues
with the guitar jangle and tambourine-tinted "Faster
Than the Speed of Life", a song that could make
a case for roots rock ditty of the year. A large fraction
of these tunes seem to lose their way on the bridge,
but fortunately this song avoids that miscue, but just
barely. Slawter sings about getting drunk and fighting,
but even this trailer park imagery can't hurt the overall
tone. The crunchy "I Belong to the Jet Set World" open
with a lot of bombast or bravado but settles into the
usual infectious tempo and groove. Jamie Hoover adds
some sonic color on the Hammond organ as well before
it breaks out for a jam-like ending.
The consistency of the album is a saving grace for the
Saving Graces, although it comes in some quirky, eclectic
packaging on the Harrison-ish title track. Mixing a roots
rock sound with some Middle Eastern influences courtesy
of the sitar guitar. As a result the tempo is slower
than previous songs but they try to compensate with some
sing-along "na na nas" in the bridge, the middle
eight, or whatever else you can call it.
The Saving Graces, when in doubt, head for the South
on the tender Dixie-rock of "Safety in Numbers",
resembling the Finn Brothers if they were reared south
of the Mason-Dixon line.
A R.E.M. circa "Losing My Religion" greets
the start of "Southern Gothic Sound" which
is anything but really. Sugar-coated gem perhaps, but
not gothic by any stretch. These three-minute tunes fly
by, which is a credit to their creators. This is particularly
true on the wistful country-leaning "Why Don't You
Cry" which recalls the Connells or the Jayhawks
in their infancy. The one-two closing punch of the punchy,
foot-stomping "I
Feel Fine" and "How Do We Get There from Here" are
standouts, the latter being their own "Here Comes
a Regular". If they keep doing this, they will get "there" quite
rapidly.
- Jason MacNeil, PopMatters.com
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