Having misspelled their name in the ‘Artist of the Month’ poll, I have failed to give Oakland’s Saything (no space) the introduction they deserve.
Revel in their cohesive—but never monotonous or monochromatic—full-length album Momentary Ens. It’s prog rock with a banjo. Sounds kind of hipster-brand ironic now that I write it out, but it really adds a functional layer of brightness and percussion that would leave a void if it were missing.
Beyond Saything’s instrumental proficiency and Isaac Brockian vocals, these guys know how to compose interesting music. Pitch bends abound and do something marvelous to the musical space in “See You Tomorrow” and “Burning Off the Morning Fog”; Phrygian color lends a darker quality to “Listen All Day”; there are some mathy meters in select songs for those who get bored with multiples of two and three; and there’s a huge allusion to Vonnegut’s Cat’s Cradle somewhere if you’re willing to look.
The band recently recorded a new album with Steve Albini, which is tentatively scheduled to come out this springtime. If you’re more of a here and now person, Saything is playing Stork Club in Oakland with Buzzmutt, Field Trips, and The Fighting Weight on November 10 for $5.