Motel Saints
Motel Saints
Prior to the show I had assumed that Motel Saints were a touring band but it turns out they’re from Denver. When they were set up and ready to go I felt as though I had stepped back into the late ‘70s or early ’80s because they sort of had that style to their visual appearance. Even the singer’s sunglasses had me flashing back to Boogie Nights as well as my less lurid childhood when the neighbor boys in high school would sport such shades. But it really added to the atmosphere of their music.
At first blush I thought they sounded more than a little bit like the Strokes. But I happen to like the Strokes and as their set progressed some of their more fiery numbers recalled the Jam and some of the cooler garage rock of the ‘80s. All of the elements sounded good and that’s what counts the most, but I could tell they were a relatively new band because, except for their bass player who lunged and rocked and looked cool doing it, they played it a little conservatively.
The singer had a good voice but he probably could do to sing with a little more force because their energetic, finely layered power pop songs call for singing with gusto. Nevertheless, Motel Saints were a solid and promising band with a collection of refreshingly earnest pop songs. — Tom Murphy
