Review Summary: I know my fault is that I speak every damn thought in my mind
Sometimes you become so entangled in something that its whole entity grapples and suffocates you, that you can no longer see anything else. You are immersed by the great weight and pressure of the instrument that you so desired, that it is all you can see, your single focus. The blinkers are firmly tightened around your eyes. Breaking yourself from the precious grips of this object of desire begins a cycle of remorse, self reflection, regret and hopefully, growth. Radiator is an album that encapsulates this journey,and how the feeling of lust and love can lead to regret and the light that can be found on the other side.
The raptures of Covid-19 have counted for the highs and lows of many artists creativity, but for Sadurn it was the hand that forced a 2 week stay in a ***ty AirBnB, to sit down together, hiding from the rapture of the contemporary world and knuckle out their first album. Frontperson and songwriter Geneive DeGroot is vulnerable in their delivery. Their vocal performance is raw and pared back, supported by the harmonies of bass player Tabitha Anhert, which are tastefully laced throughout to create impact and sustain on moments, rather than to add layers through the entirety of a song. DeGroot is adamant nothing is absolute, and everything is a learning experience, even if we can’t see it yet. In album opener, ‘Snake’ they list lessons learnt in what seems to be the tail ends of a relationship that they are not entirely over, but are in the eventual steps of acceptance and yet, hope remains.
Maybe it was wrong to meet you out in State College
As if we were still together, like I was your only option
But I’m not - and you know that I’m not as true as I thought
But I’d still drive for several hours on a dime if you dropped it
Musically, the main power house of Sadurn is DeGroot’s songwriting, which is beautifully supported by Jon Cox’s guitar work. DeGroot mixes their creative structure around, like the storytelling verses in title track Radiator, turning the basic act of picking someone up from work into intense appreciation, while in Moses Kill, we get a repeated hook bolstered by carefully finger-picked guitar and metaphors about the water cycle. Jon Cox’s guitar work is to be celebrated throughout the run time of Radiator. The use of multiple timbres and textures add depth and prepend another sonic level to something that could easily have become a very run of the mill folk indie record. Importantly, Cox doesn’t overcomplicate anything - which seems to be a trait of Sadurn, everything has its place and is given the space to be heard within the mix. Drummer Amelia Swain didn’t play drums before recording this record, which is hard to tell as her simplistic stylings and deft touch suit the songwriting magnificently.
Radiator is an album that tells a story of uncertainty, being caught in a fishnet of something that you really want but maybe that person doesn’t want it as much as you. DeGroot and Co have crafted a vulnerable and raw telling of a reality that is faced by many surrounded by superb songwriting and simplistic yet supportive musicality.
You are not the friend I had before
And I don’t know how to tell you that
And I don’t know if you plan on coming back
