Search - Saxon Shore :: Luck Will Not Save Us From a Jackpot of Nothing

Splendid Magazine Review

skuliver | 07/11/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Is it Explosions in the Sky doing Brian Eno? Or is it Múm doing Explosions in the Sky? Saxon Shore develop slow, brooding electro-inflected, P2P-produced lullabies that touch on everything from the soundscapes crafted by Eno and Harold Budd to the sublime ambience of Slowdive's Avalyn and the contemporary sounds of Ulrich Schnauss. Luck Will Not Save Us From A Jackpot Of Nothing is epic in its scope and accomplished in its presentation despite some modest shortcomings in the songwriting department. "April 14" is the strongest representation of the group's oceanic reach: icy electronics crash against a lush backdrop of crystalline sound and the rolling warmth of a synthesized lead. Things grow darker with "June 23", only to return to the clear-eyed dynamism of closer "November 16", which breaks hearts and grinds them into the ground with a gorgeous electric piano figure and synthetic vibes. And while the unpolished drum track is distracting, the organ drone that serves as Saxon Shore's angelic coda is enough to leave you dying for more in advance of the group's Dave Fridmann-produced full-length, The Exquisite Death of Saxon Shore, due this fall.



-- Mike Baker"