San Saba County
To be described as an “Austin-based Alt -Country band“ or an ”Austin-based Indie band” is to be lumped into monikers that have become somewhat cliched in many ways. Thanks mainly to the capital city’s widely regarded reputation as a thriving home to musicians of all kinds, many bands that merely fit neatly into a single genre can get lost in the crowd. One of the ways a band can set itself apart is by effectively carving out a niche with a sound that seemingly combines these oft-used elements of both the Indie realm as well as that of the Alt-Country realm.
Austin’s San Saba County has indeed done that. Employing a sonic that lead singer John Saba describes as “Post-Alt-Country“, SSB’c latest offering, …Though Cheating Was Never an Option (Wagonmaker Records), dares to venture away from the more traditional “Alt” sounds of their previous releases and we are rewarded for their decision to splinter from what many doomsday prophets lazily identify as a dying genre. According to Saba, Cheating was possibly destined for a double album treatment, with the song’s vibe being the line of demarcation. Ultimately, that plan was not to see the light of day and it’s for the best as the record retains a tight, focused group of cuts without worrying about what goes where.
The first two tracks of the album, “The Devil & Marie” and “5th Time Around” feature synth effects that would likely not see the light of day on a Hank III disc and favor a more rocking sound. Conversely, the banjo that is featured in “Winter Solstice” along with the sweet, sad and lonely cries of the pedal steel in “Train Song” would likely never see the myspace page of White Denim or Spoon. The production is often-times lush, but that never drowns out the Jay Farrar-like vocals of Saba, whose vocal is well-suited for this task.
…Though Cheating Was Never an Option may be the best “Post-Indie-Alt-Country-Roots-Rock” record that makes you forget why you were even wondering what to call them.
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