If you’ve taken any time to listen to Saint Motel, you know that the band produces nothing but major bops. They’ve commandeered our dance moves time and time again with tracks like “Cold Cold Man”, “Puzzle Pieces”, “Move”, and “My Type.” The latest of these lives in their EP titled The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack: Pt. 1.
I get very excited when I see a “part one” at the end of a song, EP, or album title. It indicates that there’s more to the story. It tells me that the artist intentionally gave us those four, five, or however many songs first. I totally nerd out over stuff like that.
Pt. 1 of Saint Motel’s three-part album project contains all of my new favorite tracks: “Old Soul”, “Sisters”, “Van Horn”, “Diane Mozart”, and “Save Me.” Yeah, I love every flippin’ song on this EP! If I didn’t know any better, I’d say Saint Motel stacked Pt. 1 with their best cards. But I do know better...this album is just THAT GOOD.
To be honest, all I really wanted to say today was that I’m in love with the western touch in “Van Horn.” I love its cowboy tint. According to the band, the song is about a wild night they experienced in Van Horn, Texas; hence the title. We’ll never know what went down in Van Horn, but all we need to know is that a cool-ass song came from it. They pair a western, underlying guitar riff with their signature use of horn instruments. Saint Motel combines their tried-and-true sounds with sounds from different decades and places. For example, “Van Horn” has western sounds, and “Sisters” has ‘50s-inspired sounds.
In case the genius craft of their songs wasn’t enough, the live execution of their work truly sets this band apart from many. This tour had spaceships, aliens, dinosaurs, torches, mariachi bands, cowboy hats – it wasn’t just a concert. It was an experience. They brought this EP to life, and I’m ecstatic that I got to hear all of Pt. 1 live...my last concert before Covid-19. These photos are from that day, taken by my favorite concert buddy @miafortunato. She’s amazing.
