Breaking Hearts and Saving Souls (2012) ★ ★ ★ 1/2
Sydney fivesome Roland
K Smith & The Sinners have their first EP to release Breaking Hearts and Saving Souls on
August 1. It’s ideal for night time listening, to cuddle up to someone near or
even enjoy alone. The band has had airplay on Triple J, FBi and 2ser and the
melange of retro love songs, country ballads and modern lyricism gives the
album a sense of timelessness that makes it a great listen.
The album literally is a collection of songs about breaking
hearts and saving souls, with some feel-good ballads in between. The overall
sound is reminiscent of a dusty American country town, not a cosmopolitan
beachside city in Australia. Opening track ‘Saddest Eyes’ features bluegrass
and country influences, while bringing in unconventional instruments like a mandolin,
homemade junk percussion and glockenspiel. The triple j unearthed artist claims
classic inspirations such as Bob Dylan, The Doors and Johnny Cash, and it’s
evident that Roland has picked up on their instrumental and lyrical talent to
create a story of his own through this album.
If anything,
the groovy, twangy solos are a part of the songs to savour, as musical skill is
developed and discovered during solo time. ‘Wait All Night’, homage to Bob
Dylan with a whining singer longing for a girl, also has a killer solo. The
track which seems to stand out the most to me is ‘Brightest Star’, a sad love
ballad throwing back to the past and an attempt to grab at lost illusions, with
farewelling sincere heartfelt lyrics like “It’s time to say goodbye”, “you can’t
hold onto that bright star in the sky.
At first listen, I was reminded of The Traveling Wilburys
(supergroup including Bob Dylan and George Harrison) – a compliment, given the
masterful playing, clever arrangements and unique but raspy vocals. Roland’s
voice can get a bit tiring after ten tracks and the percussion beats could be more
innovative. However, all components work well together to create an authentic
country atmosphere and the upbeat intros are attractive. ‘Stuck On You’ is an
upbeat track about a good-looking girl and ‘The Train Song’ weaves in banjo
strumming with a rock feel for a lively song.
The most admirable songs on the album are the slow, lyrical,
raw tunes. ‘Cold Winter’ is a dynamic, emotional tune with a great beat and
those addictive growling vocals. The dark, eerie feeling continues on in ‘Two
Men’ where Roland channels Mark Lanegan’s rough yet alluring voice - “you’re
the angel that haunts my dreams.” Final track ‘Dorothy’ ends the album with a
bitter twist – it’s such a harmonious track with lyrics full of regret and a
fragile delivery, “I did it all for you.”
Breaking Hearts and
Saving Souls is a classic album to listen to in full – to take a trip down
memory lane (or at least someone else’s experiences) on a chilly winter evening.
It has upbeat tracks about friendship and sad ballads about heartache and love.
Some songs can get a bit irritating with the country twang but there are some
great tunes in there.
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