Still rooted in their characteristic smoky, faded glamour, The Saxophones' 'No Time for Poetry' subtly questions the current state of the world a
Still rooted in their characteristic smoky, faded glamour, The Saxophones' forthcoming album 'No Time for Poetry' expands the natural breeziness of 2023's 'To Be A Cloud' with a sense of angst and tension, to subtly question the current state of the world and their place within it.
Husband-and-wife duo Alexi Erenkov and Alison Alderdice are augmented by their regular collaborator Richard Laws on bass, synthesizers and keyboards, as well as multi-instrumentalist Frank Maston who provided production support.
Evocative imagery and themes define the album, whilst musically, the spectre of mid-period Leonard Cohen hangs over the songs. "That's the biggest touchstone," says Alexi, "the kind of dystopian songs he was writing with a satirical attitude helped set the darker political tone of this record."
Despite exploration into darker subject matters, however, The Saxophones' inherent romanticism remains present, particularly in the depths of Alexi's baritone lyrical musings and the woozy instrumentation - stuttering Rhodes, staccato bass clarinet and alto flute weaving around muted Beach Boys-style bass; hypnotic wind synthesisers and rhythmic percussion.
Most tracks on the album do not follow a traditional verse / chorus structure and very rarely is anything recognisable as a chorus returned to more than once. "I don't tend to chase having a chorus or a bridge," says Alexi. " I really wanted to write songs that were captivating in their simplest forms and have no more than three to four core elements happening at any one time, so that each part could really shine on its own."
'No Time for Poetry' is a snapshot of The Saxophones personal and political reflections and a questioning of the uncertain world around them, realised through a mixture of wry resignation and gauzy optimism.
Track Listing
Too Big for California Winter Moon Mind Wander Burning with Desire Cypress Hill I Fought the War At Peace with Power America's the Victim Wayward Men No Time for Poetry
