Fool Saint – In a Field, Away From the City (2022)
Through the tracks of their debut EP In a Field, Away from the City, Fool Saint bring the unifying themes of self-reflection, perseverance and the want to leave a lasting positive change in the world. The five-track collection uses progressive tones to bring these themes to life, with each track touching on a topic. Following on from their three single releases unofficially titled, The Timber Session, this EP showcases the band’s spark of societal introspection and ability to combine musical styles into a cohesive sound.
Since forming in 2020, Fool Saint weaves Sara Bruno’s (vocals) psychedelic storytelling into the complementary yet still contrasting guitar tones of Austin Lipinski and Christian Berrigan. This is smoothed by the groovy basslines provided by Michael Doyle and given a boost by the energy of drummer Kyle Meehan. Together, they draw you into their sound while injecting their thought-provoking music directly into your veins.
The EP opens with ‘When I Call You’ which draws you into its melody with a gentle guitar line. The bubbling brook of sound leads you to a sweep of sound and pulse of drums. As the acoustic guitar line continues, the richness of the melody rises from the depths. Bruno’s vocals shine down on the melody like light flickering through the trees onto a river. As you are caught in the current of the music, the lyrics touch on daily life and the way that modern life can stifle who we really are. On the chorus, Bruno’s vocals rise up and take you along for the ride that sparkles with freedom. There is something about this track that makes you feel better about life and that you can face the world without any issues.
‘Some Kind of Crazy’ has a different light touch as it shimmers through the soundscape. The vocals have a hazy and airy feeling as they delve into societal introspection. This is matched by the melody through the opening verse that starts softly and slowly builds on itself. Everything soars on the chorus as the melody pushes the vocals to new heights. As the chorus soars through you, there is a toe-tapping vibe to the music that you can’t help but get a little lost in. The lightness of the vocals and the push of the melody fills your senses with an urge to do something more to create the change you want in the world. It is a delicately motivating sound that is undeniably catchy.
The sound changes for ‘Until It’s Wild’ which has a misty vibe to the opening, like you are in a meadow covered in fog that lightly shifts as you watch it. The vocals push through the fog to reach you, carrying a light chill with them. The echoing of the vocal line through the soundscape adds to the foggy soundscape allowing the vocals to come at you from all directions. As the track progresses, the vocals start to warm and burn away the fog, while the clear air remains through the melody. It is a relaxing sound that allows the depths of the lyrics to really reach into your brain. Later in the track, the melody and vocals rise even higher and burst into the sky.
‘No Hard Feelings’ wastes no time drawing you into the nostalgic vocals. As the opening vocal line throws you back into memories, the melody pulses with a wonderful rock tone. The music gets your toes tapping to the rhythm as the vocals work through good memories. While there is a happiness to the memories, this turns into something sadder as the reality of the situation in the lyrics hits home. The subtle turmoil created by the vocals is picked up by the melody as the instrumentation bounces you around the soundscape. This track is so addictive that you will be shocked when it comes to its rather abrupt end.
The EP closes with ‘Confession’ which has a slight retro vibe to the opening. The hook in the opening drops for the vocals to shimmer over the waters of the melody. The title is wonderfully apt for this track, as the vocals are a vulnerable confession of feelings and thoughts. It is a very touching track that is unbelievably easy to connect with. The lyrics are packed with a lot of things that many people wish they could tell the people around them, but never feel confident enough to. The steady movement of the melody beneath the vocals allows the powerful emotions of the lyrics to really shine.
Fool Saint brings five different tracks together and unifies them with underlying themes of reflection, perseverance and wanting to make a change in the world in In a Field, Away from the City. Each track is a sophisticated masterpiece on its own, but they come together for a captivating collection. The EP will have you hooked to the sound from start to finish, while getting you thinking about what the lyrics have to say.
Find out more about Fool Saint on their Facebook, Instagram and Spotify.
