New Music: Saint Clare — EPIII
There are few bands in Ottawa that have as big of a sound and stage presence as Saint Clare does. With each release the band puts out, their music becomes more grandiose. The band just released their third EP on April 20th, and it is arguably their most ambitious record to date.
The seven-piece outfit does not shy away from taking risks on EPIII. With bold and thunderous percussion from Daniel Devries leading the way—particularly in climactic, fuzzed-out tracks like “Burn Burn Burn”— Matthew Saint Clare and his band push it to the limit, without going overboard. When there are seven people in your band, it can be really easy to muddle up some of the instrumentation, ultimately decreasing the quality of the overall end product while also putting certain band members in the back seat.
That is not the case with Saint Clare. The EP was masterfully recorded by Jarrett Bartlett at Little Bullhorn Studios, and mastered by Andy Magoffin at House of Miracles, each of whom did an incredible job bringing out each tone, each horn, and each riff. When it all comes together, as it does in EPIII, the big-band sound is a beautiful thing.
The EP kicks off with the fist-pumping, foot-stomping track “Get You Down,” instantly hitting listeners with a solid dose of power-pop fused with garage rock, and sprinkled with the sound of ska-like horns throughout. “Closer to the Devil” is a song that we’ve heard before, as the band released a video for the track back in October. No matter how many times I’ve played this song, it just refuses to get old. It’s satisfying to hear how the other four songs fit around this previously released track.
The biggest treat for listeners is how this EP ends. “Burn Burn Burn” is a grimy, fuzz-filled track that makes you want to jump in your 70’s muscle car and slam on the gas in a cloud of burning rubber and never look back. I actually felt like I was watching the climax of an action movie with this one. Then, finally, “So Low” comes in to round off the album and injects us with all those warm and fuzzy feelings that throwback power-pop does when played loud, and repeatedly. This final track is my favourite on the album, and reminded me of other local heros such as The White Wires, Steve Adamyk Band, Sedatives, The Creeps, and other fun Ottawa Gaga era bands. Saint Clare measures up to the greats of this city.
This EP is a must-listen, and makes me even more of a fan of this band than I was before. These guys know how to put together a hell of an album, so crank up the volume and press play below.