It’s truly a pleasure to be listening to new music from Tyburn Saints. Their last full length, 2010’s For the Benefit of Strangers, was a nice throwback to jangly lo-fi artists like The Jesus and Mary Chain and Galaxy 500. With this EP, the band has fully embraced the sonic landscapes of shoegaze and dream-pop, thus giving a more rewarding experience in sound and atmosphere. Opening track, “You and I in Heaven,” begins with blankets of warmth ushered in by Cocteau Twins-esque guitars (similar also to LSD and the Search for God or The Bethany Curve) and the meaningful vocals of lead singer Johnny Gimenez. He still has a voice like Nick Cave or Stephen Merritt, but this time it comes through with much more aplomb and command like David Bowie. There is an 80s vibe going on as well, carefully hidden in the threads of the track as well as the remaining three.
“Last Time I Sing for You” should be played loud and wouldn’t be out of place on a Greg Araki movie. Again, the guitars are the main act here, never getting in the way but, instead, leading. The same can be said about track three, “You Don’t Send for Me, I Send for You”. The stylistic choices made resemble some sort of lost B-side to an obscure new-wave/post-punk band. The song is grooving and has a definite hook with the instrumentation.
Final track “Broken Bottles” is a fitting closer to the EP. Gimenez’s vocals rush by like a drive through the city at night, bottles tossed out the window. And that’s what this EP feels like: night tales. These Brooklynites reside in a mecca once known for producing unique musical and avant-garde acts. The original days of no-wave might be over, but Tyburn Saints, along with other acts like Pop.1280 and The Men, are embracing past sounds and the seedy nature accompanied with acts long gone. You get a feel for their home with their music. All those times of hazy appearances, mistakes made, and sleepless nights…
