78 Saab - Crossed Lines

Tue 19th Oct, 2004 in Music Reviews

What a great CD, I enjoyed it from start to finish. 78 Saab is lyrical, melodic and in parts, kind of ethereal. Crossed Lines is skillfully crafted and builds in momentum as it glides through from the first to last track.

78 Saab are band from Sydney who have been treading the rock boards since 1996/97 and have built up a huge base of loyal fans due to their dynamic live performances and the extensive radio rotation achieved with the success of their debut album Picture a Hum, Can’t Hear a Sound. Their follow up album absolutely over-delivers on the promise of future glory in the wake of their debut. Crossed Lines has taken two years of writing, re-writing and endless tinkering until the band and producers were absolutely happy with the results and it shows. Crossed Lines is triumphant and the layering of sound, the juxtaposition of soft against loud and perfectionist touches evident in every element of the album makes the humble listener feel priviledged to own a copy.

The song content varies in theme from lost love, small victories, bright-lights-big city and the things they see happening around them, giving the listener a voyeurs view into their lives. This diversity carries throughout the album from the layered melodies to the instrumental components. With influences ranging from Neil Young, REM and The Church, you can hear hints of each in the subtle keyboards to the romantic, searing vocals of Ben Nash. Contrasting melodic vocals with the solid, unrelenting rhythm section and the strong guitar means Crossed Lines delivers unique, soulful music which I don’t want to label with as a genre for fear of limiting the audience of this album.

No Illusions starts the album off and is mellow with subtle blues guitar hints and soothing lyrics giving the album overall a slightly seventies feeling due to the calm, almost celestial tone.

Beat of Your Dream is the third song on the album and probably my favourite. I’m obviously not alone as 78 Saab have released Beat Your Drum as the single, along with No Illusions and Cops, garnering wide acclaim as a teaser for the album and the perfect enticement for things to come.  Beat of Your Drum reminded me of Jeff Buckley’s Hallelujeuh in the perfect simplicity achieved by the way vocal glides over guitar melody at the start. The chorus section is somewhat Beatles-esque and it would seem at home in the soundtrack to That Thing You Do, which I must admit find quite adorable.  

The beauty of Crossed Lines as an album, is that the drums can be pulsing, guitars wailing and yet the vocals are so melodic and soothing that it sounds peaceful and sweet, the contradiction is sublime. This occurs throughout the entire album and needs to be heard by anyone who claims to be a music lover.

All a Lie is the fifth song on the album and is an acoustic led number for the most part accompanied by at least two electric guitar parts and just like the vocals, it is the quieter acoustic that screams above the classic noise makers.

The City Is Humming takes the rock up a notch and is classic, good-time rock with a guitar solo, sexy drumbeat that just makes you want to shimmy and the vocals take on a gravelly, alluring quality that shows that this band has breadth and dimension. Looking at the underside of living in the city, The City Is Humming looks at the restlessness but also the promise held in the bristling energy which keeps you going.

We All Get By sounds is reminiscent of Oasis’ Wonderwall on the guitar front but I can imagine this song live and it would be incredibly powerful. It’s easy to see the influences of 78 Saab in places, you can almost hear their CD collections throughout the recording but this seems OK, as it has the feeling of ‘hats off’ rather than an echo.

The album wraps up with You and Your Friends and Know What You Want. These tracks stay true to the rest of the album using some interesting background keyboards that are barely audible but add to the texture of the music beautifully.  Know What You Want is acoustic and there are actual, real harmonies happening.

So, after two years wait, a lot of reworking and refining the end result is magic. Crossed Lines is great for a relaxing afternoon reading or to unwind. Music to soothe the savage rock beast without giving up your rock credibility! This is an amazing album and indeed the sound of music as a consuming passion – well done, 78 Saab!