The Exquisite Death of Saxon Shore

Recommended For Listeners Of: Tristeza, God Is An Astronaut, Mogwai, The Cure, Sigur Rós, Explosions In The Sky, I Hear Sirens, The American Dollar, Mono, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Yndi Halda, Aerial, Do Make Say Think, The Mercury Program, This Will Destroy You, Red Sparowes, Magyar Posse, Caspian, El Ten Eleven, A Place To Bury Strangers, Souvaris, Giants, pg.lost, Signal Hill, Tunturia, My Dad Vs Yours, Gregor Samsa, Pelican, oaqk, Maserati, The Album Leaf

Release Date: 18th, October 2005
Label / Distributor: Burnt Toast Vinyl
Performers: Matt Doty (Guitar, Keyboards, Programming),Matt Stone (Guitar, Keyboards), Steve Roessner ( Drums), Oliver Chapoy (Guitar, Keyboards, Programming), Will Stichter (Bass)
Production, Engineering and Mixing: Dave Fridmann

Track Reviews

1. The Revolution Will Be Streaming
When the drums overlay-ed by some melodic bass kick in at around 33 seconds into this song, you know it's gonna be good. Roaring guitars join the fun to rudely assault you. After the initial blast of guitars, the tone changes for some really fast strums. They drop it for some New Orderesque bass which could be the low end of a guitar as well.  This track is not in the typical mold of post-rock where you have a long build up. The pace actually keeps going for most of song. Much like what God Is An Astronaut is doing to the movement. Melody and intensity to keep your interest all the way through.

2.  The Shameless Moment
Starts off like a Sigur Rós song. Delicate keyboards followed by delicate and intricate guitars. A good display of single notes played in suspension. The song builds with layers of echoing guitars yet you feel you need more.   Very much like Explosions in The Sky.  When the peak has been reached it is not one that is solely the wall of sound guitars but the drums and keyboards play a significant role.

3.  With A Red Suit You Will Become A Man
The string synths are panned under some weirdly tweaked electronics to start the song. The drums and bass kick in with the synths still panning. The guitars on this song are a very Cure in nature. Well placed short melodic riffs played with delay and chorus effects. The rhythmic effects of the bass and drums lends to a beautiful almost TV-series theme song that you wish you hear more of. This could actually be a Cure instrumental b-side.  A perfect track for a remix version. Much of it could be sampled to great effect.  

4. Silence Lends A Face To The Soul
Starts with single guitar notes hanging suspended. Then the notes get closer together as the pace builds. A second guitar is added and played a higher pitch.  It almost takes over until it drops out of the mix. Before we lose our guitars, they blast you with the "wall of sound" that maybe overused but all the while effective.

5. Isolated By the Secrets of You
A melodic number which starts with some violin bow on guitars. There is a sense of peace for the first two minutes then a break down into impending violence. The sound becomes violent, then the peace is restored.  This false sense of calm lasts only for a short time. Heavier distorted guitars and a deep bass destroy any thought of serenity. It ends this way and damns us all. The longest song on this record at just over seven minutes has lived up to expectations. 

6. The Shaping of a Helpless Joy   
The drummer has gone all crazy on this track. Exceptional technical touch drumming. The bassist's booming playing on this fills it out quite effectively. A very Maserati, Mercury Program sounding track. The name of the song suggests a lot in setting the emotional experience. Intricate layers of lead guitars and keyboards will make you close yours eyes and drift your head in slowly in time.  The overall sound could be considered, jazz prog rock. 

7. Marked With The Knowledge
Twitchy electronics begin one of the best songs on this records. Sounds almost like one of the new Scandinavian indie pop-outfits. The pop is soon drowned by loud chiming guitars.The main guitar piece on this track may actually remind listeners initially of 80s pop metal guitar solos. The thing is, it's not executed in the 80s pop-metal context. There is a lot more aggressiveness and attitude in it. The general back beat of the music is similar to Maserati and Mercury Program. This is a track meant to be played really loud on repeat.

8. A Greatness At The Cost Of Goodness
A multi-layered song without vocals that could have vocals. Manchester band, The Doves come to mind when listening to this track.  Electronic beats and regular drums lay the foundation upon which waves of synths and guitars come and go as they please. A slight avantgarde  feel to this track.

9. How We Conquered The Western World On Horseback
It does not take much for anyone to be blown away by the sheer melodic beauty of this track. Possessing the longest title on the album, it is one of those songs which can soundtrack moments in time.  Maybe climbing a mountain, driving through the rain, being the last one out of the bar or waving goodbye, you choose.  

10. The Lame Shall Enter First
The last track starts of almost "synthy goth". Nervous urgency persists until the drums kick in followed by a heavy bass and distorted guitars. Saving the best for last may not always work out well, you could be bored halfway through. There is enough interesting music that came before to get you to this one. Ripping juggernaut guitars and heavy bass persist to dead silence. You are led to to think it's all over, then they sandblast you with a frenetic wall of two million guitars. My Bloody Valentine's Loveless comes to mind. This reviewers album pick.

Why ?
If you have ever wanted to expand upon your listening or if you have already been baptised by the legion of new instrumental rock, this record is great starting point or an addition to your collection. A fine display of the melodic commitment to songwriting and arrangment  from Saxon Shore. It could easily draw you in on first listen as there isn't that sense of having to wait for something to happen that has plagued a lot of records in the post-rock/experimental catalog. The Exquisite Death Of Saxon Shore holds your interest throughout. If you are not convinced that this entire record is as good as we profess, take a crack at Marked With The Knowledge, The Lame Shall Enter First and The Revolution Will Be Streaming.

Listen
@ MySpace
@ Purevolume

Videos

This Shameless Moment - Live at Megaport Festival in Kaohsiung Taiwan
The Shaping of a Helpless Joy - Live at Megaport Festival Kaohsiung Taiwan


Buy Saxon Shore  - The Exquisite Death of Saxon Shore

Brief Artist Biography
Country: USA
City: Philadelphia and Brooklyn
Year Formed:2001

Saxon shore is now a five (5) member band who lost a few members since 2001. After the departure of two (Josh and Zach Tillman) of the three founding members of the band in the summer of 2004, it seemed like the band would be over.  Guitarist Matt Doty picked up the pieces and choose to recruit new some new players. This line up was  responsible for the EP "Luck Will Not Save Us From A Jackpot of Nothing" in 2005. This was conceived via the Internet with exchanges between Matt Doty, Oliver Chapoy and Matthew Stone. The EP was recorded over the course of 2004 at their respective homes, via file sharing with additional tracking and production done in New York, NY by Shitake Monkey.

The band continued to write new material and added bassist William Stitcher and drummer Steve Roessner in 2005. They used the same techniques and method of song development as used in "Luck Will Not Save Us From A Jackpot of Nothing"  for the the new record. The result was their most acclaimed and accomplished work to date, "The Exquisite Death Of Saxon Shore".

For More Information.
Wikipedia
Official Site