The band had established a relationship

Saxon Shore - How We Conquered the Western World on Horseback.

I've written about Saxon Shore before. When we last spoke, they had just released the Luck Will Not Save Us from a Jackpot of Nothing EP, which is a downright incredible recording. Now they're back with a full length, and this time around they wunderman Dave Fridmann twiddle the knobs. His influence is subtle. This record doesn't have the thick, enormous pop sounds of a Flaming Lips or Mercury Rev record. Instead it has a raw sound, allowing you to almost hear the room the band is sitting in. I definitely get the feeling that these guys are sitting around in a circle plucking their riffs.

What they've ended up with is an excellent record. It took me a few listens to come around to it, but I get it now. I mean, there are more than a few instrumental bands these days that deal in this type of slow, methodical, building-building-looping-building stuff. I'm a real sucker for it, but even I have my limits. But despite some major lineup changes and a new producer, Saxon Shore are still one of the best.

It was hard to pick a song from the album to post, as they all have their moments. The seven-minute "Isolated By the Secrets of Your Fellow Man" is particularly good. It's got a pulsing piston beat reminscent of early Nine Inch Nails, which is quite surprising. Anyway, I highly recommend this album. For a sweltering hot Los Angeles day (it's well on it's way to 98 degrees today), the Saxon Shore is a cool blast of glacial air.

You can buy Saxon Shore's earlier releases Direct from their online store. The new record, The Exquisite Death of Saxon Shore will be released on October 20th, on Burnt Toast Vinyl.