It’s dirty. It’s catchy. You’ve never heard of it. Saint Motel’s EP, “ForPlay,” introduces a sound that squeezes somewhere between indie-rock, psychedelic-rock, and sex.
Boasting an addictive six tracks without mindless pop beats, the Saint Motels released their debut Sept. 8 under One For the Records/Get Fresh Records. The Los Angeles based band consists of A/J Jackson on guitar and vocals, A Sharp on lead guitar, Greg Erwin on drums and Dak on bass. The four met in film school, a history that translates to their animated music and inventive videos.
Jackson delivers the sexually-charged lyrics with swagger and a smoothness that would make you think he’s sporting a pompadour. “To My Enemies,” incorporates a flavor of swing that transitions into a string of Sharp’s impressive slide-guitar solos. Be advised: If you listen to this song in public, you will have to fight sudden uncontrollable urges to dance.
“Pity Party” and “Eat Your Heart Out” invoke traces of influence from giants such as Kings of Leon and U2 but intermittently return to the ’50s rock feel of “To My Enemies.”
Its attraction to cinema, and therefore storytelling, becomes evident when Motel paints the vivid image of destruction surrounding dictatorship in their first single. “Dear Dictatorship” begins with a delicate, luring melody, which immediately transforms into explosive guitar riffs, mirroring the chaos imposed by the dictator. The song concludes with the haunting tone of the beginning, barely leaving evidence of its preceding intensity.
“Do Everything Now” essentially serves as the anthem of the EP, encouraging various degrees of debauchery, justified by “This life is your life just get it on” and the refrain “Do everything now… We’re still young.”
“Butch” again brings in the different era feel but decorates the familiar beat with crisp, abrupt guitar riffs and a techno-initiated, but Pete-Townshend-inspired climax. The track’s gradual build of the gentle beat contrasts comically with the blunt and somewhat shallow lyrics.
