Saint Charles is a solo project born from the ashes of Yorkshire band Spectrals, as drummer William Jones set out alone to pursue his own brand of retro pop. Fans of Spectrals will find common threads in the music of Saint Charles, though Jones sends out feelers in various directions marking his work distinct from that of his former band.
The EP opens with ‘She Don’t Wanna Know’, a groove-laden track where electric guitar snakes in sinuous circles, Jones’ crooned vocals wending their own way out. The tone is pitched somewhere between longing and uber-cool disinterest, like some heavily stylised version of heartbreak. This loose-limbed, languid aesthetic is the overarching link between all of the songs on the record, though within this frame Saint Charles is able to explore a range of styles.
Like follow-up track ‘Roses’, the insistent drum beat offset by tropical guitar to produce a rhythmic yet laidback sound that brings to mind the surf rock revival of Wavves and Best Coast. ‘Jetpack’ is perhaps the most rock-orientated track on the record, the drums reaching for shoegaze in their hasty tempo, Jones’ vocals all too happy to follow these quick slipstreams with his fluid cadence. Again, the guitar is light and spiraling, updrafts upon which the vocals float in mellow ease.
Closer ‘Lay On My Feet’ slows things once more, another playful slice of pop albeit coloured by a sweetly wistful edge. While the carefree smoothness remains, and the drum beat is imbued with a peppy kick, the guitar is reigned in somewhat, less showy or forthright than some of the other tracks. The effect is one of earnestness, as though the trendy exterior has dropped just an inch to show that, against all the odds, cool kids feel stuff too.
We’re lucky enough to be able to stream the EP in its entirety, so listen below before summer packs its bags and leaves us once more.