Saint Maybe |
Perhaps I should refuse the temptation to call Saint Maybe a band. Coming out of Aberdeen, Scotland, the term ‘post-rock guitarist and drummer duo’ is more applicable, but even then it’s a stretch because on Draining the Swinelord they produce two types of racket. Firstly, four songs are instrumental studio jams, recorded directly in their rawest form. The sound is energetic, noisy, and sometimes filled with chunky riffs too, making for a fascinating and uncompromising listen despite the poor recording quality.
On the flipside, Draining the Swinelord also includes a further 15 songs recorded via a 4-track, making use of drum machines and bass, as well as vocal tracks too, covering a wide range of sounds and feelings. A song like ‘Rainy Day Saving’ is the perfect example, showing that the structured songwriting can be as appealing as the wilder, looser tracks. However, the sheer number of tracks does mean the overall result is somewhat hit or miss, as it is with most indie artists who delve into the world of the 4-track and then make it public access. But under the tape hiss there are various moments of worthiness, and in this situation more than any other, it’s purely down to the individual what can be taken from the Saint Maybe song experiments.
Steven McCarron
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