Despite hailing from New York City, SAINTFACE are a smart quintet, whose sound will quickly wrong foot those of you who are expecting us to be praising yet another angular outfit whose main aim in life is to cop The Strokes moves (which they’ve already siphoned from Television and Guided By Voices anyway) and win a Luella Bartley clothes sponsorship in the process.
Indeed, the briefest snatch of the title track “Hudson & Day” will tell you that Saintface have far loftier ideas, and rightly so, because this kind of beautifully-tailored, string-driven (warranted in its’ usage) pop never goes out of fashion in the most discerning household.
Actually, the comparisons that spring to this reviewer’s mind are chiefly English, such is the strength of Saintface’s cool, Anglophile itinery. The title track is luscious and exciting, recalling the likes of both Pulp at their finest and also great ‘80s troupes like The Colourfield (musically), with the added attraction of Peter Riley’s louche and deeply seductive voice.
Amazingly, “Hudson & Day” – the best song about two converging streets since The Afghan Whigs’ fabulous “Fountain & Fairfax” – was recorded in Riley’s kitchen(!), but the standard of musicianship is impressive throughout, with second tune “Eight Days A Week” (no, not THAT one) again weighing in with memorable hooks and the closing “New York’s Favorite Plaything” initially throwing a curve with its’ fuzzed up, Black Rebel bassline launching proceedings into a much darker part of town.
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Blessed with reserves of style and verve – not to mention several potential sonic secret weapons, especially in the shape of keyboardist Michael Parkin – Saintface are already pencilling in their own agenda regardless of the present scene’s vagaries, whilst looking and sounding like championship material. Those of you who demand more from your favorite bands (and you should) ought to be looking in this direction already.
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