Customer Reviews

Saint Low

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Best known as the vocalist for the Madder Rose, Mary Lorson has accumulated quite a catalog of her own material. A quick listen to this CD will reveal why these songs were better held for a solo release. Instead of the textured walls of psychotropic guitar sound of Madder Rose, these songs are sultry and passionate, a smoldering collection of torch songs that borrow heavily from the age of jazz. Such songs fit in perfectly with Lorson's pure voice that sounds like the girl next door, only [better], a playfully seductive voice that can make a young man fall in love and make a fool of himself.

"Johnson City" is a prime example of the songs on this album with Lorson singing an aching melody in two-part harmony over a sedated mamboish rhythm that reeks of a melancholy memory, a song to slow dance close to. Equally smoky is "Crash", a smoldering song that evokes images of dimly lit nightclubs and those huge 40's microphones. "Only One", with it's infectious up-tempo melody and layered guitars is the only song that could fit on a Madder Rose album. My personal favorite is "On The Outside", a song of loss and alienation with an emotive violin line that permeates the song like a solitary tear moving down a beautiful face. The melody in this song, as in the others, seems intended to rend the heart of the listener. Overall, this album helps prove that Lorson is more than just a singer. The melodies are fresh and haunting and the entire "confessional song" feel of the album draws the listener into a secret confidence, an imaginary nightclub in the 40s where Mary is singing to you alone.

Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful............Lorson has created an exquisitely beautiful companion for the lonely, this record is a pleasure from start to finish, it is far superior to anything Madder Rose achieved..............all bow down and say your prayers for the patron saint of sadness!

I could listen to Mary Lorson sing all day long, and the emphasis here is on the vocals. Most of the songs are spare, simple arrangements of guitar, bass, drum, and strings, with Lorson's singing and song writing front and center. Very happy I stumbled accross this CD.

If you like Madder Rose, particularly Tragic Magic, then you might find this album even better. Saint Low is hypnotic, beautiful and haunting. My personal favorite tracks are Anywhere, Crash & Johnson City. If you have heard Madder Rose, then you already know that the voice of Mary Lorson is at once angelic and seductive. From the first track to the last, she pairs her voice with cool lyrics and rich layers of music. This is thinking man's music. "On the Outside" is a great backdrop to reading a book, or writing a journal.

in her work with madder rose, mary lorson's voice was always one of my favorites in all of music...it's beautiful and expressive, and always drew me in to the music. it's great to hear what she does with a whole album of her own music (which she also produced, by the way). one of my favorite albums of the year, and definitely recommended. this past year, mary also contributed vocals to a couple tracks on the album "Amateur Soul Surgery" by billy cote's side project, The Jazz Cannon. those tracks are great, but the rest is kinda hit or miss.

Fans of the group Madder Rose will be delighted with the intoxicating mood of this CD. Mary Lorson makes this album her own with her sultry vocals and delivery. The stands out tracks are "Crash" and "Walk on By". Saint Low is a pure pleasure without any thorns.

Mary Lorson is an uderapreciated tallent. With the help of Billy Cote and some fine musicians, Mary is able to treat our ears with one of the finest voices in popular music.

As one unfamiliar with any previous output on the part of any of the members of Saint Low, after listening to this disc for several weeks I believe that I shall remain that way. It's my understanding that this is Mary Lorson's first lead effort; these are her works, her songs and her creations. All that went before was her helping somebody else. Thus, all that went before could be only bad reflection.

Whatever she lent her considerable efforts to in the past is, I'm sure, satisfying and rich to respective fans. I do not wish to damn with faint praise anybody's work. Nonetheless, these captivating and massaging melodies coupled with her strong, crystalline voice render me unwilling to hear her do another's creations. Revisiting this artist's previous efforts, now that I have experienced her emergence, would cause me only melancholy, much as a visit to a restaurant were the notable chef has departed for grander climes and the replacement serves only shadows of the former's artistry. Fortunately, in this case the progression is positive; the more we visit Saint Low the richer the servings will be.

Swinging from low and sweet to jazzy and hip, the selections fascinate with metaphor and partial illustration. In an age where "In your face" smackdown and gangsta rule, such allegory and abstraction are refreshing finds. One may make of the works what one wishes, discovering in the imagery either familiar chords to grasp or indications of experiences unfamilar but still attractive.

Far too deep and complex for play to the lemmings, Saint Low and their patroness Mary Larson warrant following and scrutiny. This is art.

Her song (which one I can't remember) stuck with me and I bought the CD.

Its good...really good. It reminds me of either Alanis Morissette in jazz mode or Lisa Loeb. Her voice is the highlight of the CD, but it is well complemented by music behind.

If I have one complaint it is that the differences between the songs are pretty subtle and as a result, many sound VERY similar. Good background music, but you have to pay pretty close attention to the songs to divine their best features.