St. Mary's |
 |
There is something undeniably beautiful about the simplest arpeggio played out on a guitar. Sure, good musicianship is important and sometimes the wildest scores are a joy to listen to. As a musician myself, though, there is nothing more soothing than taking up a guitar and slowly picking through the most basic chords; strings resonating together to form pure sounds and the result is so hypnotic that it’s difficult to break the cycle. This is what I think of when I switch on Do You Find Me Wicked?, the latest release from St Mary’s.
Despite the name, it is more of a one man project than a band, but I have been aware of them for a few years now and anything is possible along the way. The man in question being Chad Merritt, and each release, from the older days when the moniker Nellie was used, up to the last two releases as St. Mary’s have shown a remarkable increase in skill and clarity at every stage, meaning Do You Find Me Wicked? is a lo-fi gem just waiting to be discovered by people all over the world.
The guitar rings out delicately, and the vocals echo in the distance, defying gender but gripping emotion. There is prettiness to the music, yet the feeling remains slightly ethereal throughout. This is severely boosted whenever the musical saw is unleashed. It’s such a spooky instrument, but it’s used wonderfully throughout the album alongside some glockenspiel and bowed mandolin.
This all means that Do You Find Me Wicked? is by no means a typical guitar record, and even though the influences of bands such as Tarnation and Edith Frost (the album contains a cover of her ‘My God Insane’) can be heard, there is a definite uniqueness, and the album improves upon each listen. Additionally, the packaging is handmade and exceptional to look at and touch. Irrelevant to the music as it may be, it’s too good to go unmentioned.
The present is sounding eerily good for St. Mary’s, but overall, I’d say the future is looking even better.
Steven McCarron
:: back to top ::