Saint Pierre – Luck and Gravity
It’s amazing how many aspiring Texas-natives with no big hair, flashy costumes, grease paint & smoke machines actually issue a little independent album of tunes that’s genuinely exciting. Julia St. Pierre opens this LP with “Wish You Said,” & vocally shines throughout with a wonderfully imaginative composition & tonality. Her husband Danny St. Pierre provides the perfectly suited lead guitars, & vocals as well.
What works for this duo is that they seem folky, but they have rock n’ roll in their DNA. And while they’re not laying out blistering solos & aggressive music they have just enough starch in their songs to keep the momentum going forward. “Fine Ride West,” continues with Julia’s lead vocal & the pop-dynamic is arranged sharply & tightly. Her voice is in fact distinctive. She sounds like no one, phrases creatively, & her voice is persuasive.
There are 12 fascinating tunes to Luck and Gravity (Dropped Oct 17/Independent/47:39) that glide effortlessly through pop with a folky nerve, their free reins of Americana is what makes the songs vibrant. Themes include navigating love, divorce, remarriage, & like passions. Danny St. Pierre (lead & harmony vocals/guitars/bass) has a discernable easy listening Eagles-type vocal tone (“Takin’ Me Back”). His voice would remind older listeners of Loggins & Messina, Andrew Gold (“Lonely Boy”) & some Dan Fogelberg.
The set was produced by Ed Tree (guitars/bass) in San Gabriel, CA. Throughout the showcase there will be nostalgic dives into the type of music that’s become classic rock, country traditional with folky elements. But I’m leaning more towards the performances of Julia (sorry, Dan) but her voice is so unique, it channels a sound that has a tough center despite being sweet on the outside. She’s as singular as Lucinda Williams or Grace Slick (Jefferson Airplane). “Luck and Gravity” is superb.
This is the duo’s first LP together & it explores through original songs second chances in love, life, & art. Maybe they were meant to be together. That’s why they’re here. If their music is any measure they do belong together. There’s harmony, & you hear it in their voices, the instrumentation & the songs themselves.
Dan’s big moment does come on the melodic 12-string guitar-chiming “Meant To Be,” with its Byrds-like tone that’s captivating. This is Dan’s place, this works well. He sounds far younger than he may actually be. A good dynamic & in some respects, for some people, their voices never age. Lots of optimistic tunes. I like the press release that says their songs feel like postcards from different eras of their lives. Good name for an album concept.
Highlights – “Wish You Said,” “Fine Ride West,” “Takin’ Me Back,” “Luck and Gravity,” “Meant To Be,” “All I Ever Wanted,” “Coming Around,” “You Steady Me,” & “Tom Petty’s “Keeping Me Alive.”
Musicians – Scott Babcock (drums/percussion).
Color image courtesy of their website gallery. CD @ https://saintpierreband.com/
