Header photo by Mark “Cobrasnake” Hunter / Words by Willa Rudolph
New York City’s SAVOIA, a four-piece rock band of boyish dudes, released their debut EP Sunflower Mouth on July 19th, giving us the gift of well-produced rock-revivalist tracks that playfully call upon the likes of The Strokes, The White Stripes, and The Kooks.
Comprised of Lucas Allan (lead singer, lyricist), Mercer Meeks (lead guitar), Caleb Rubin (bass), and Jonathan Awad (drums), SAVOIA unpretentiously give indie-sleaze–they’re not trying to seem any type of way. They just are! “Sunflower Mouth” was written, engineered, and recorded by Lucas and mixed by Jonathan.
Much-loved mainstays of New York’s downtown scene, fans have patiently awaited the 4-song EP and are duly rewarded from the jump. Lucas’s relatable voice draws you into the project with the funky, dancey first track “Sunflower Mouth.” Let’s party, let’s jump in the pool in our white V-necks! Let’s leave our phones at home and party old school! Ya know. The namesake of the project also has a new music video, where you get to really see the personality behind the band.
Then we get into the next song, “Lose You Completely,” which is very The Kooks-ish. There’s a bit of a ska beat in there underneath the Lucas’ vocals. However, do not get me wrong, it starts off with a freaky fast-paced guitar riff before breaking into the main hook. Lucas’s intonations here are almost pop-punk-esque, and he delivers some fab falsetto in the chorus.
Slowing things down with “The Dress,” which reminds me of a nevershoutnever! or Panic! At The Disco track, the accompanying video depicts an androgynous Lucas peering into a mirror wearing an on/off lover’s slip dress before burning the whole garment into nothingness. The chorus has a bit more of that surf-rock energy heard in “Lose You Completely,” too.
Taking us back to basics with the paired-down final track, “I Feel Dirty,” the track opens with some beautiful solo guitar picking before Lucas’s voice joins in, with the two sounds mingling deliciously before the commencement of the drums and bass along with a backing track of ambient guitar sounds. The chorus picks up quite a bit, though, gaining in volume and intensity.
Lucas describes the record as, “Someone with a Sunflower Mouth makes seasonal promises–ones which are beautiful in the moment, yet wither with the arrival of fall. Pulling from a multitude of indie rock influences, the “Sunflower Mouth” EP is a crisp and buoyant reflection on the downfall of a relationship. It’s a breakup record but not a slow boring one. A 4-track story about being young and loving in New York City. Short and sweet but enough to get our sound across.”
Keep up with SAVOIA here!
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Photo by Niko Stycos