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Utah Saints
Utah Saints in Bloomington, MN
Current price: $24.99
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Size: CD
Utah Saints
' self-titled full-length is full of joyous, electronic rave-ups. The album works most successfully when the band is using inspired samples toward their
pop
electronica
goals.
"Something Good"
and
"What Can You Do for Me"
have to be the most popular moments extracted from the album. They are also, by far, the album's best songs. Sampling alternative diva
Kate Bush
's airy vocals, from her song
"Cloudbursting,"
becomes a fast, fun ride.
Jez Willis
Tim Garbutt
warp and twist
Bush
's vocals of "I just know that something good is gonna happen" every which way they can, creating a mesmerizing rave-busting anthem to joy. The song is stunning in its power to get a dancefloor moving. Who would have thought a
chorus could be turned into a first-rate dance song?
does the same thing for
Annie Lennox
that
did for
. The song sees
sampling all sorts of vocal segments and musical elements from
the Eurythmics
'
"There Must Be an Angel Playing With My Heart."
The song doesn't take off with the energy of
"Something Good,"
but it's still an aural treat, mixing moody, flanged vocals, a promoter's screams, and a worthwhile beat.
"New Gold Dream"
attempts another reworking, this time of a
Simple Minds
' song, to lesser, but enjoyable effect. Another area where the band mines success is when they take to making near-
classical
compositions in the style of dance music. This area of the band's sound is best represented by
"My Mind Must Be Free"
"Trance Atlantic Glide."
sounds like it was recorded at a
gospel
dance party.
"Trance Atlantic Glide"
works like a dance version of a minimal,
Michael Nyman
score to a
Peter Greenaway
film; one can picture
Greenaway
's strange imagery, perhaps displaced to some bizarre rave event. In between the sampled euphoria and the symphonic dabbling, there's perhaps a bit too much filler.
sound either spread a bit too thin or like an imitation of
808 State
on a number of the weaker tracks, particularly on
"Too Much to Swallow"
; the song is a major misstep which sees a goofy, high-pitched, and synthesized trumpet sound playing around with a pathetic drum machine sound.
"I Want You"
is also a weak track, sounding like a halfhearted mix of
industrial
dirge and a cut-and-paste
rap
. While the album isn't entirely worthwhile all the way through, there are enough innovation and pure energy to make it essential. With less filler, and perhaps a shorter running time, there would have been more cohesion. Still, there's so much to love, between the ear-tickling electronics and the divinely inspired samples, that one can't help but get lost in the mostly heady mix of
. ~ Tim DiGravina
' self-titled full-length is full of joyous, electronic rave-ups. The album works most successfully when the band is using inspired samples toward their
pop
electronica
goals.
"Something Good"
and
"What Can You Do for Me"
have to be the most popular moments extracted from the album. They are also, by far, the album's best songs. Sampling alternative diva
Kate Bush
's airy vocals, from her song
"Cloudbursting,"
becomes a fast, fun ride.
Jez Willis
Tim Garbutt
warp and twist
Bush
's vocals of "I just know that something good is gonna happen" every which way they can, creating a mesmerizing rave-busting anthem to joy. The song is stunning in its power to get a dancefloor moving. Who would have thought a
chorus could be turned into a first-rate dance song?
does the same thing for
Annie Lennox
that
did for
. The song sees
sampling all sorts of vocal segments and musical elements from
the Eurythmics
'
"There Must Be an Angel Playing With My Heart."
The song doesn't take off with the energy of
"Something Good,"
but it's still an aural treat, mixing moody, flanged vocals, a promoter's screams, and a worthwhile beat.
"New Gold Dream"
attempts another reworking, this time of a
Simple Minds
' song, to lesser, but enjoyable effect. Another area where the band mines success is when they take to making near-
classical
compositions in the style of dance music. This area of the band's sound is best represented by
"My Mind Must Be Free"
"Trance Atlantic Glide."
sounds like it was recorded at a
gospel
dance party.
"Trance Atlantic Glide"
works like a dance version of a minimal,
Michael Nyman
score to a
Peter Greenaway
film; one can picture
Greenaway
's strange imagery, perhaps displaced to some bizarre rave event. In between the sampled euphoria and the symphonic dabbling, there's perhaps a bit too much filler.
sound either spread a bit too thin or like an imitation of
808 State
on a number of the weaker tracks, particularly on
"Too Much to Swallow"
; the song is a major misstep which sees a goofy, high-pitched, and synthesized trumpet sound playing around with a pathetic drum machine sound.
"I Want You"
is also a weak track, sounding like a halfhearted mix of
industrial
dirge and a cut-and-paste
rap
. While the album isn't entirely worthwhile all the way through, there are enough innovation and pure energy to make it essential. With less filler, and perhaps a shorter running time, there would have been more cohesion. Still, there's so much to love, between the ear-tickling electronics and the divinely inspired samples, that one can't help but get lost in the mostly heady mix of
. ~ Tim DiGravina
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