Milagro Saints are a six piece band from North Carolina and this most recent album from them features an eclectic blend of smooth and sophisticated sounds that hint at a host of seventies influences. Along with the kind of easy-flowing rock that emerged in that decade (Jackson Browne, perhaps, to pick one name at random), there's some soft rolling funk and the kind of country influence that just occasionally put me in mind of The Ozark Mountain Daredevils. You might see the word "trippyÂÂ" in connection with these guys, and I suspect that's mostly down to the seven minute centerpiece to this album, the environmentalist’s prayer that is Don't Give It Up. I'm sure this is a heartfelt piece but somehow it's missing a spark for me, the laid-back arrangement being way too relaxed for the urgency of the subject matter.
For me, the best numbers are the more succinct ones, enjoyable as it can be to hear these guys flex their musical muscles. The love song These Things (About You), for example, keeps it sweet and simple, whilst the funky rock of Midnight Flame is catchily enjoyable, with more of a sense of drive than most of this album. With a whole stack of instruments at their disposal and an electric guitarist (Roberto Morales) who conjures a host of interesting sounds, they've got plenty going for them. Joyce Bowden appears as an extra band member on occasion to provide some sweet, nicely woven harmony vocals around the voice of mainman Steve Ineson and, though I don't think this record ever quite catches fire or melts my heartstrings, there's plenty of sweetly enjoyable music along the way.
www.milagrosaints.com/
