Fool Saint pursues “Searching for The Magical Other” on debut LP
From Left to Right: Christian Berrigan (Guitars/Songwriter) & Sara Lorena (Vocals/Lyricist)
Yes yes, I know it's been a long time since I've done one of these.
I guess you can say I took a bit of a detour (more on that later) but I think we're back on the right track again. Right now, there seems to be a bit of a resurgence when it comes to the nostalgic sounds of 2000s alternative rock and everything Indie from the past 10-15 years. There’s something inexplicable about the sounds of a keyboard accompanied by punk music that's almost pop in structure and production but still retaining its identity of being the antithesis to music for the masses.
Blurring the lines between progressive rock, alternative rock, and emo revival, Fool Saint is anchored entirely by the dynamic songwriting and instrumentation of Christian Berrigan and the evocative vocals and lyrics of frontwoman Sara Lorena. Together, they have quickly established a reputation for sonic tapestry of dreamy atmospheres, raw vulnerability, and an energetic live show.
From the early days of 2021 to now, the band has come a long way from humble beginnings and discovery of what would be their full-length effort, “Searching For The Magical Other”. The record clocks in at just a little over 31 minutes in length, not overstaying its welcome but rather, a warm introduction for what could potentially become.
Throughout the album's tracklist, the lyrical content definitely shifts almost in a gradient fashion from dark to light. Those shifts can also be heard within the guitar playing songwriting structures and instrumentation as well.
Lead single “Atomic 72” magnifies the collective dread and fear of catastrophic events that can’t seem to slow down for us millennials to process even right now in this very moment. However, on the flip side, “Tokyo in the rain” showcases the band embracing the great things that life has to offer even something as simple as taking a trip to Japan with someone you care about that’s unlike anywhere else on the face of this Earth.
For what it's worth on a local level, there's been a debate amongst former showgoers of the local scene from the past 10 years as to whether or not if the local scene is dead. I'm here to say it's not. Times have changed, people have changed, and the music has definitely changed but whatever it is you're looking for in terms of sound, it's alot closer than you think. You just have to be willing to search for it, much like how Fool Saint is and I think they're getting close with every release and experiment to try something new.
“Searching For The Magical Other” is available to stream/purchase via Bandcamp and select platforms.
