“Cheer up, it might never happen” is the less-than-helpful standard response to anyone going through a bout of manic depression. Or for anyone who releases an album which inspires the epithets “downbeat”, “melancholic” or “Cohen-esque”.
Savings and Loan, whose core members are former members of De Rosa and Eska, certainly don’t come across as the cheeriest of souls, not on this showing. But, on the premise that Joy Division’s ‘Atmosphere’ bettered Russ Abbot’s version in all areas apart from bad dancing, there’s nothing wrong with a good old-fashioned mope.
Of the ten tracks here, the main preoccupations are Catholic guilt and death – or both I suppose with the lyric “I’d rather die than be tortured” as Martin Donnelly muses on the crucifixes that can been seen through ‘Her Window’.
The delivery is less Christian and more Cash, Cohen and Cave – indeed, the sleeve artwork covers all these bases – while the record is raw yet beautifully instrumented with bass and strings adding to the melancholy. Cheerful it’s not but there is something beautiful about wallowing in someone else’s misery. Of course, it may be that these guys are playing a part, but it seems like there’s plenty of pain to go round.
www.thesavingsandloan.net
- Leo Fox - 26 March 2021
- Community Swimming Pool - 25 March 2021
- Kusht - 25 March 2021