Album of the month - Tomorrow Again
By: If Ever You Re Listening
Tags: Tomorrow Again, Album Review, Music, Saint Saviour, Baroque Pop

Album of the Month — September

Saint’s lyrical complexity captures life’s grey moments

Tomorrow Again by Saint Saviour

Background

After a long six year hiatus Saint Saviour has returned. The singer-songwriter has had over a decade of varied artistic pursuits. She worked with different producers in London and sang lead for groups like RGB’s and Groove Armada. Seven years after her move to London she released Anatomy and Suukei. The 2010 EP’s were met with critical acclaim. Critics highlighted Saint’s stunning voice and diverse artistic range. However, the positive attention was short lived. Her 2012 debut Union was blasted for its “endless shade of grey” and disjointed track list. Saint’s baroque pop pursuits led to a lack of musical clarity.

Right behind Tomorrow Again was Saint’s career highlights, In the Seams. She reversed the sophomore curse and fell back into critics good graces. They loved her heavy and beautiful production. The Manchester Camerata Orchestra set the right tone for her enchanting music. In the meantime Saint raised her acumen. London’s Tech Music School has tapped her as the head of songwriting. She worked on the Seahorse documentary soundtrack. Her history of collaboration has continued with new faces. Mura Masa and Celeste are only a couple of the artists Saint has wrote with over the six year gap. By 2020 Saint is beloved and widely respected in the London music scene.

Describing Relationships Unkind Side

Saint has described the album as “swimming through cycles of loss, new life, working through pain, anger and joy.” Throughout the album she ambitiously confronts relationships’ demoralizing side. For instance, “Rock Pools” features conversational singing between two lovers who can’t seem to compromise. Happy love is untenable on the album closer “Wake Me”. Instead, Saint is searching for the emotional depth and intention to enter a relationship. Despite these dark themes the music is astoundingly bright. Saint noticeably finds peace in the muddled and complex. For example, on “Kite” she makes beautiful kite analogies to describe relationship entanglements. On that song she sings lines like nighttime lullabies to her toddlers. In the second verse she chimes “Sometimes losing makes you better, and you’re better off to shoot through the dark”. Tomorrow Again is filled with encouraging advice about the complex world ahead.

The Various Shades of Love

After In The Seams Saint also had two kids with her husband. Tomorrow Again features several songs about the various shades of love. This includes love of child, friends, spouse and others. Her most intimate and heartfelt songs on the album are about her kids. On “John” she sings over a dynamic Motown groove. The song is about her hopes and dreams for her son. Her complicated lyrical deliveries carries on into “Taurus”. This sing describes her feelings about several family members, including her daughter and brother. She admits that her daughter changed her rhythm and her brother kept her treading water. This support system explains her positive attitude towards life. Her loved ones help her through life’s precarious nature.

Symphonic Arrangements

Lavish strings and symphonic arrangements are the sine qua non of Baroque Pop. Saint has mastered the dynamic pop genre on Tomorrow Again. Each song has a distinct vibrant sound. “Animal, I’s” synth drums and four to the floor groove match the song’s primal theme. “Paris” might have the most euphoric chorus of 2020. The song also features engaging cello strings and perfectly timed drum sequencing. “The Place I Want to Be” feels close and intimate. The light thudding keys, bright horns, and big symphonic sound make for an epic opener. Tomorrow Again experiences the twists and turns of life. It lives in the harsh and complicated moments. Saint’s lyrical approach successfully described those paths. Through stellar production and excellent songwriting Saint made those valleys a little bit more bearable.