Their single ‘REASON’ shows very clearly that they have found their musical voice even before setting foot into the studio, and that the purpose they are bending the language of music to is that of tapping into visceral emotion and unfolding it into a lyrical form - yet without losing the raw quality of it in the process. The result is a track that feels intimate and potent, starting out with a burst of energy and then simmering into something quieter but deeper, where melancholy and perhaps a tinge of regret find space to surface. Emotionally, there is a honesty to it that is always particularly welcome in a band doing their first experimentations in the studio. There is no play of shadows in this song: rather, there is a willingness to lay difficult emotions bare and show them to the listener exactly for what they are, even in those parts which may be tough to process.
In this approach to emotional songwriting, as well as in the way the lyrics are crafted and even more so in the way they are delivered - privileging soulfulness over technical perfection, so that in places it feels that emotion is almost overcoming the vocalist as the words pour out of her - the track is a remarkable embodiment of the original grunge spirit. There is a not-so-distant echo of Nirvana in it and quite possibly an even closer suggestion of late-nineties Foo Fighters. This is true not just in the wording of the lyrics, but even more so in the treatment of the vocals and often also in the way the guitars gain body as the song gains traction, becoming urgent and almost overpowering. The opening bars in particular are quite possibly where this grunge influence is stronger, the broad licks of the guitar and the hypnotic lilt of the vocals coming together into something familiar and a little haunting.
There is, however, a shift in tone that comes after this initial burst, showing that the experiment Saint Friday are conducting here is more complex than this. The way the track plays with tempo and intensity, moving from the rougher, energy-driven sections into others that are softer and more meditative - and then back - is the main signaller of what is perhaps the most interesting quality of this track: an interaction between grunge sensitivities and the all-too-familiar indie rock sound. The backbone of the latter here might be reminiscent of some of Wolf Alice’s production, but it is processed through a different filter, and as a result the track overall feels both rooted in a retro vibe and completely modern in both structure and voice. The grafting of the grunge elements onto the indie frame might seem like a dangerous hazard on paper, but in practice it is seamless and impressively effective.
If the early singles from an artist are a declaration of what they mean to do coming forward, ‘REASON’ mainly comes across as introducing this hybridisation of songwriting styles, and it certainly does it job in leaving the listener with the curiosity of seeing what else the resulting voice can do.
Chiara Strazzulla
Image: ‘REASON’ official single cover
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