Weekly Release Spotlight: All The Saints
Posted on 11/23/2008
All The Saints
Fire On Corridor X
[Touch & Go]
The South is, in many ways, despite the supposedly unifying Civil War learned in history classes nationwide, practically its own country. The very lack of winter is enough to distinguish itself single-handedly and you even get a little sweaty, though we're dealing with our first snowfall here in Minnesota, just listening to the blazing hot tube amps exploding through the speakers as Atlanta trio All The Saints' debut album, Fire On Corridor X, plays through. Fuzzed up melodies with rough edges and soft hearts are the backbone of this impressive first effort, showing that toil and passion obviously went into its making, just like a long satisfying day working in the burning sun.
Then again, Touch & Go Records are quite familiar with this kind of astringent aesthetic, so another solid contribution to the legendary indie-rock home is not necessarily surprising. From local 90s heroes Arcwelder to influential teeth-gritters Shellac and Slint, T&G helped put this kind of strong-armed rock ethic on the map. What's more shocking is the fact that this kind of no-holds-barred tuneage has (with a few notable exceptions) long been absent from the indie scene in general - not just at its former headquarters. Thankfully, All The Saints have not only been able to bring that feeling of "no wusses allowed" back into the spotlight, but they've built a friendly bridge with their effects-laden shoe-rage guitar work, which is both threatening and undeniably melodic.
Add this to the fact that two songs named after a couple of Georgian towns ("Sheffield" and "Leeds") also happen to hark familiarities with more gentle pedal-enthusiast names such as Ride and you have yourself an album that can appeal to every kind of rock fan, indie or otherwise. The noise and ferocity are often held at a place where they are manageable, too. The screamer "Farmacia" stomps along at a steady pace, with frenzied drumming and guitar bleats affably subdued by producer Ben H. Allen (who's worked with both Animal Collective and Christina Aguilera), while the ear-grabber "Papering Fix" lumbers with both lethargy and animosity: a combination both treacherous and pleasantly transfixing. So much energy breeds so much Southern heat, but at the same time, it also feels remarkably familiar to that which us Northerners have become accustomed to: perspiring in a cramped room with great music blasting in front of dozens of warm bodies.
Stream: All The Saints - Sheffield
Written by Chris Polley, Radio K volunteer and host of Now Like Photographs.