Scotty Saints and the True Believers – “Damaged Heart”
Melody in music spells “sell-out” to a lot of young ears who love heavy music. I understand why, as for decades a lot of pop has been trite lullabies to “la-la-la” for far too long.
It’s music without any substance, without any real intensity or feeling. Music without any art.
But I grew up with The Beatles, then The Doors and Jimi Hendrix and then The Velvet Underground and David Bowie. And after that I experienced the early punk bands from New York, Boston and London.
And all of the music I just mentioned had melodic melodies and the bands I just mentioned, I feel, contributed such great music that were vital and innovative.
They reflected themselves and the world around them with such honesty, relevance and artistry and yes, they were also tuneful and catchy, as well.
As I’ve said before, I like using the term melodic punk instead of pop/punk. The later two words for me are polar opposites, worlds apart. Walruses apart, much like polar bears and Chinese chipmunks may be.
All of the original punk was melodic and nearly all of the current punk is as well.
Hardcore is great but I feel it’s more aligned with metal than punk, nowadays.
But the punk that Scotty Saints & the True Believers shoot out at us like razor blades cutting through diamonds, may be melodic just like pop, but it is its antithesis in intent, feeling and action.
This is punk. This is rock’n’roll. These are forms that express true and real emotion without any pretensions or any added fluff.
This music is an expression of themselves and life as it really is by artists who are true and real.
Let’s check them out and then hand them their receipts:
“Damaged Heart” bursts out with a pushing, propulsive rhythm, high-pitched emotional vocals and a chiming, slashing guitar melody. This tuneful tune rips along like an amusement park ride where you’re given the illusion that you’re gonna sail off into space, but then you’re safely reeled in. “I’ve fell down but got back up…You know, I’ve broken down…Sometimes you hit the ground…Sometimes that’s just what you need.” This song wears its heart on its sleeve, and is emotionally honest and soul bearing and is great!
“I know I don’t belong…and I know I will never fit.” So starts “True Believer” which. I guess, might be this bands’ theme song- You know, like The Monkees “Hey, Hey We’re The Monkees” or like The Banana Splits theme song. Both punk bands that existed before punk was around. “I’m a true believer and I believe in me.” Which perks my ears up as one of my favorite early punk bands was The Avengers from San Francisco and my favorite song by them is “I Believe In Me.” Maybe this song doesn’t quite match that one in my estimation, but it comes pretty close! With it’s flurry and fury of passionate vocals, fervent energy and stuttering, smashing, guitar flourish. I truly believe in this song.
“Falls Apart” for me conjures up Hole (“Malibu”), Dinosaur Jr. and Husker Du and toss in a good, classic rock guitar solo and that’s the ingredient of this song. It’s also moody, melodious, world-weary and poignant and may be the most un-punk tune on this release but it’s also my favorite. As it strikes me so real in emotion, expression and heart.
“This Time” begins with a modified Bo Didley beat, a crashing chorus abetted by a unison vocal of “Wooh-Oh-Oh’s”. This song makes me think of the great, current local band State Of The Union and many classic, eighties punk/new wave bands, too. “Run for your life, never give up, stand up and fight.” The verse with it’s chattering-like guitar chords resolves in a shimmering, ecstatic avalanche of sound. This EP may have been recorded in three separate home studios, due to the virus, but it still contains the heart energy, emotion and excitement of a live band successfully.
Scotty Saints has a long history of playing and being involved in punk music. Not as long as me, but then most of those folks who could match me, are now long dead. LOL!
But I hear the true spirit, the true heart of early punk in every sound, every second of this release.
And can I give some kudos to the wonderful rhythm section? Oh yeah, I guess I just did.
And I truly believe in the True Believers.
You might be thinking I’m replaying some nostalgic notion, somehow yearning for something that didn’t really exist. But I disagree. I still remember how it was, how it felt, how it sounded back in ’77, ’78.
Some things that happen to you in life you will never, ever forget.
It’s right here.
(Slimedog)
