Hotly anticipated Dundee band, Saint-Louie, have already instilled a such an effect on the Dundee music scene that it is hard to believe they have only been together for less than a year. Having personally watched the band perform live at the recent Westfest Battle of the Bands contest achieving 2nd place, Saint-Louie’s music is filled with old school rock ‘n roll and blues guitar influences sounding as fresh, driven and energetic as ever in the band’s music. With performances alongside the likes of Alabama 3, Sergeant and other hotly tipped Scottish band, The Snuts, already under their belts, the band are quickly making a name for themselves across the country and beyond with a forthcoming English tour lined up allowing the group to spread their music to an even wider audience.
In my opinion, Saint-Louie’s decision to release both tracks ‘Silver Spoon’ and ‘Devil Inside’ as a double A-side is a bold but great move from the band. Double A-sides, in the past, have provided great insights into a band’s image, ethos and overall aesthetic that they are looking to project to their audiences by featuring two tracks, equally as strong as each other, together. The likes of ‘Penny Lane/Strawberry Fields Forever’ by The Beatles and ‘All Apologies/Rape Me’ by Nirvana, are both very successful examples of this and for Saint-Louie, ‘Silver Spoon’ and ‘Devil Inside’, both showcase the band’s versatility, ability and vigor to an equally prominent level which will set them in good stead for capturing bigger audiences across the nation.
From the offset of ‘Silver Spoon’, you are lured in with the tasteful, 60’s rock ‘n roll influenced guitar riff reminiscent of the early work of The Stones and The Yardbirds which sets the tone for the remainder of the track. The riff is soon followed by bass guitar and drums which introduce a well-suited rolling style rhythm on the snare through the verses seldom heard in a lot of music in the modern day. This solid instrumental foundation paired with commanding vocals throughout make for a track which portrays a glimpse of Saint-Louie’s drive, energy and captivating live sounding feel which they have captured on the record before quickly transcending to a slightly darker side with ‘Devil Inside’.
Hence the second track’s title on this double A-side, ‘Devil Inside’ shines a light on a more thought provoking, emotive and somewhat darker side to Saint-Louie. Notably, with this track being at a slower tempo than the first, experimentation on bigger, more spaced out effects could have complemented the track well along with a more balanced blend between guitar and vocals at times as they conflict occasionally with the guitar just slightly overpowering the vocals. However, this does not take away from several stand out features that are prevalent on ‘Devil Inside’. The vocals, in particular, are so immersed in the tale they are portraying that it is as though the devil truly lurks inside them with effective use of vibrato throughout. Also, the concise layering of the acoustic and electric guitar riffs blend together with clarity providing depth and texture to the track along with a timely introduction of drums and bass after 2:10 which effectively lifts the intensity and energy felt to another level. If the likes of Led Zeppelin take your fancy musically, then ‘Devil Inside’ will reverberate familiar traces of the band’s work throughout with a track that is sure to have audience’s heads rocking back and forth in awe at Saint-Louie’s upcoming gigs.
To find out more info on Saint-Louie and keep up to date with their next upcoming gigs, be sure to keep an eye on their social media pages (links below).
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