“One hell of an artful, freakish, rockadelic, psychic show.” ~Jerry
“The best band in America.” ~Some drunk guy at O'Brien's
Praise for amor fati
Click the image to read the full review. We're pumped to be Ken's #2 album of 2023 on If It's Too Loud!
amor fati is "a fairy tale trash mysticism fuzzscape...
the feel weird album of the year." ~Justin Perilli
the feel weird album of the year." ~Justin Perilli
SAPLING
"Amor Fati"
(Love of fate: The welcoming of all life's experiences as good).
Sapling's music is like if John Cougar Mellancamp was riding a tractor on his farm and he hit a huge rock causing it to topple over, with him sustaining an irreversible brain injury, that greatly affected his day-to-day life except he still wrote songs.
So, there you go:
I guess that makes no sense, but then, though the music of Sapling thrills and enchants me- it makes no sense to me at all.
So, describing their style I'm left with giving you non-sensical descriptions such as- indi/outie/noise/experimental/black metal/white metal/symphonic progressive art rock/Indian buffet music. Which sort of makes sense to me, but then makes me think that maybe I was on John Cougar Mellancamp's tractor, and fell off, too. Maybe instead of writing more confusing thoughts we should give a listen to their strange but rewarding music.
But let me first say it's like stepping into another world, another consciousness with its originality and bizarreness, and is actually more accessible than I've maybe, led you to believe. And it appeals to me because I love to fall into music that throws me for a loop and makes it as difficult describe though equal in how much I enjoy it:
"Mata Hari" starts with a swirling wave of sound before moving into an eerie, Middle Eastern/Indian motif. Themusic has a cool, encompassing drone driven by a boppin' beat and a vocal that chirps in a high tone, "Mata Hari, Amor Fati." This song is melodic, mysterious, mystically menacing and marvelously magnificent.
I have a lot of affection for "11.37" as it recalls to me British punk/new wave music of the eighties though, the more creative bands like The Cure or Wire. With a tuneful verse, a catchy chorus and a greatly, groovin' rhythm section and a wonderful, droney guitar line this might be their most "normal" song but I still really dig it.
"Snake Charmer" slithers towards us with some moody, bass chords before a crashing avalanche of noise saunters in. A viola-like line creates an ominous mood suggesting both Siouxsie & The Banshees and "Venus In Furs" by the Velvet Underground. This song has some fanciful and terrific lines such as:
"In the land of France, where the naked ladies dance.
There's a whole in the wall where the men can see it all
(if you're dying for a wank)...Every breathe they take
is enough to kill a snake. When the snake is dead they
put flowers in its head. When the flowers die, I see
madness in his eyes...
All the girls in Spain, they dance naked in the rain.
And the cops don't care...And the snakes that cries,
he will tell you dirty lies. And the lie they tell is
enough to go to hell."
A wonderful, heavenly tune.
"You fly too close to the sun; you wage a war that can't be
won. Should I hate what I've become? The end's already
begun."
So, begins "Age Of Icarus" a slow, ponderous number with a bit of Mazzy Star in the vocal. It ends with the word "perihelion" which means (I looked it up)-
"The point in the orbit of a planet at which it is closest to the sun." Which is interesting but then, so is this great song.
Also, a nifty little number about an accordion playing murderous monkey and Olive Garden that it so inexplicably great that I can't form words to describe it.
This wonderous release is somehow created by a typical rock trio of guitar, bass and drums. And though they utilize a few other instruments, there's nary a synth or keyboard in sight. And besides the great writing on this release, the production is incredible and anyone included in this should be lauded and applauded. Plus, the only artist this band makes me think of is Laurie Anderson and, it would seem, that chump who falls off tractors in Indiana.
So, instead of sending get well cards to Mr. Melonhead- though I fear he hasn't really fallen off his tractor, though the evidence points that I may have fallen off mine- I'd say check out Sapling, I think they're great- even if it may be true that someone with an irreversible brain injury is recommending them.
(Slimedog)
"Amor Fati"
(Love of fate: The welcoming of all life's experiences as good).
Sapling's music is like if John Cougar Mellancamp was riding a tractor on his farm and he hit a huge rock causing it to topple over, with him sustaining an irreversible brain injury, that greatly affected his day-to-day life except he still wrote songs.
So, there you go:
I guess that makes no sense, but then, though the music of Sapling thrills and enchants me- it makes no sense to me at all.
So, describing their style I'm left with giving you non-sensical descriptions such as- indi/outie/noise/experimental/black metal/white metal/symphonic progressive art rock/Indian buffet music. Which sort of makes sense to me, but then makes me think that maybe I was on John Cougar Mellancamp's tractor, and fell off, too. Maybe instead of writing more confusing thoughts we should give a listen to their strange but rewarding music.
But let me first say it's like stepping into another world, another consciousness with its originality and bizarreness, and is actually more accessible than I've maybe, led you to believe. And it appeals to me because I love to fall into music that throws me for a loop and makes it as difficult describe though equal in how much I enjoy it:
"Mata Hari" starts with a swirling wave of sound before moving into an eerie, Middle Eastern/Indian motif. Themusic has a cool, encompassing drone driven by a boppin' beat and a vocal that chirps in a high tone, "Mata Hari, Amor Fati." This song is melodic, mysterious, mystically menacing and marvelously magnificent.
I have a lot of affection for "11.37" as it recalls to me British punk/new wave music of the eighties though, the more creative bands like The Cure or Wire. With a tuneful verse, a catchy chorus and a greatly, groovin' rhythm section and a wonderful, droney guitar line this might be their most "normal" song but I still really dig it.
"Snake Charmer" slithers towards us with some moody, bass chords before a crashing avalanche of noise saunters in. A viola-like line creates an ominous mood suggesting both Siouxsie & The Banshees and "Venus In Furs" by the Velvet Underground. This song has some fanciful and terrific lines such as:
"In the land of France, where the naked ladies dance.
There's a whole in the wall where the men can see it all
(if you're dying for a wank)...Every breathe they take
is enough to kill a snake. When the snake is dead they
put flowers in its head. When the flowers die, I see
madness in his eyes...
All the girls in Spain, they dance naked in the rain.
And the cops don't care...And the snakes that cries,
he will tell you dirty lies. And the lie they tell is
enough to go to hell."
A wonderful, heavenly tune.
"You fly too close to the sun; you wage a war that can't be
won. Should I hate what I've become? The end's already
begun."
So, begins "Age Of Icarus" a slow, ponderous number with a bit of Mazzy Star in the vocal. It ends with the word "perihelion" which means (I looked it up)-
"The point in the orbit of a planet at which it is closest to the sun." Which is interesting but then, so is this great song.
Also, a nifty little number about an accordion playing murderous monkey and Olive Garden that it so inexplicably great that I can't form words to describe it.
This wonderous release is somehow created by a typical rock trio of guitar, bass and drums. And though they utilize a few other instruments, there's nary a synth or keyboard in sight. And besides the great writing on this release, the production is incredible and anyone included in this should be lauded and applauded. Plus, the only artist this band makes me think of is Laurie Anderson and, it would seem, that chump who falls off tractors in Indiana.
So, instead of sending get well cards to Mr. Melonhead- though I fear he hasn't really fallen off his tractor, though the evidence points that I may have fallen off mine- I'd say check out Sapling, I think they're great- even if it may be true that someone with an irreversible brain injury is recommending them.
(Slimedog)
Rockandrollfables.com August 4th, 2023
"How does one describe Sapling? Short answer: Ya Don’t! Long answer: They’re an incendiary fireball hurtling at your unsuspecting earholes at an aggressive pace… but in a good way. Make sense? No? Well, bear with us because it’s about to get weirder." -Click to read more from Rock and Roll Fables
"A fairy tale trash mysticism fuzzscape... the feel weird album of the year." -Justin Perilli
Worcester Magazine cover story June 1st, 2023
Photo by Alan Arsenault for Worcester Magazine. Click photo for article.
"Sapling challenge norms and showcase their unparalleled creativity with this new single... With 'A Fox Upon the Tomb,' Sapling has created something avant-garde, innovative, and incomparably unique."
-617 Music Reviews
-617 Music Reviews
---> Click here to check out earlier press <---
Malt Schlitzmann for Worcester Magazine