Dundee band Sahara, who I have personally had the opportunity to play alongside and watch several times over the past few years, have already gained quite a name for themselves around the Scottish music scene. The band, led by original and founding members, Megan McNally (Guitar) and Adam Campbell (Vocals/Guitar), alongside their new bass acquaintance, Matthew Tonner, have features at prestigious venues and festivals across Scotland already in their back catalogue such as TRNSMT, Y Not festival and a slot with The View on their most recent sold out tour. Sahara’s previous single released in March this year, ‘Never Get the Time’, has racked up over 16,000 streams on Spotify to date and was described by Dutch music blog, ‘Gobsmag’, as fitting perfectly alongside the likes of Interpol. Their new release, ‘In Sufficiency’, is certainly no exception to this.
Upon my first listen to Sahara’s latest single, I was hit with a sense of deja vu within the first ten seconds. I quickly realised however, having been at several of Sahara’s gigs in the past, they have in fact been performing their now latest single for quite some time. Nevertheless, regardless of whether the track is completely brand new or has been hidden in their locker for quite some time, ‘In Sufficiency’ captures the band’s most laudable experimentation with production effects to date resulting in a track which displays an admirable homage to their biggest influences such as Interpol and The Strokes – so much so that the band themselves apparently even nicknamed the song ‘the Interpol one’… or so I have been told.
The track opens with a double track layered guitar riff which you’d be forgiven if you thought you’re actually listening to the likes of The Strokes’ ‘Is This It’ album. Transcending out of the opening guitar riff come drums and lead vocals followed by a bold, Joy Division-esque bass line which really drives the song throughout. Lyrically, the song tells a tale of yearning, frustration and contrasting emotions. This is highlighted through lyrics such as, ‘I’m in a sorry state… how I wish you weren’t on my mind…’, featuring in the first verse to, ‘I’m in a sorry state… until I find you again…’, featuring in the second verse displaying the singer’s struggles of being with and without the one they adore. Much like Sahara’s previous releases, going right back to their debut EP in 2016, you’ll find that their choruses are perhaps the most powerful and catchiest parts of their material. Again, the band have succeeded in making the chorus of ‘In Sufficiency’ powerful, catchy and charismatic which will undoubtedly have their fans rallying it back to them at full voice at their next upcoming gigs. Going back to the band’s experimentation with production effects, this is most prevalent in the second verse and solo section of the track. Haunting yet subtle guitar echo/reverb effects in the second verse and solo along with slightly distorted and compressed vocals in the choruses add real texture and detail to the piece which hark back to some of the band’s biggest influences. Although ‘In Sufficiency’ is not as jangly as some of Sahara’s previous material, the band have created a well-balanced blend of 00’s New York Indie scene inspired music along with a relatable lyric and great use of effects to result in a track that will help to attract even bigger audiences for the band and that is set to take them another step on their path towards achieving their vision for the group.
Be sure to catch Sahara at one of Scotland's most highly regarded music venues, Sneaky Pete's, on 27th July. Ticket link below...
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