Saint Blonde Get Slick on "smooth talkin'"

Denton, Texas-based Indie Rock outfit Saint Blonde have landed securely on our radar with their latest release, "smooth talkin'". Comprised of Hunter Fitch, Trè Rollins, Alex Hernandez, and Tyler Cooper, Saint Blonde formed in 2018 and have been steadily building their catalog and fanbase ever since. Currently sitting around 120k monthly listeners on Spotify, the group pulls influences from Psych Rock, Synth Pop and Post Punk on their latest offering, and I've been hooked since the first listen.

While normally a bit out of my wheelhouse, the overall execution on, "smooth talkin'", is absolutely pristine. From the mix to the arrangement to the vocal performance, every single element in this song is exactly as it should be - while still maintaining a hazy, lo-fi indie feel. Opening with distorted guitar, snappy, live drums and a driving bassline, the vocals soon join in with a monotonous, haunting melody and a perfect amount of verb and delay, instantly makes you feel all sorts of weird (in the best way). The verse continues to build as muted counter melodies joining the party, before dropping into a hollow, punky rap pre-chorus - and then there is the chorus.

When the hook hits, the entire vibe changes bringing in bright guitar melodies, steady drums and a bassline that is as groovy as it gets. From ominous to OMG, the hook is an absolute mood booster with stacked falsetto vocals and an uplifting melody that immediately turn that frown upside down. But not for long.

The song continues to ebb and flow with the slick arrangment, top-notch sound design and polished production all coming together to perfectly compliment the vocals at every step of the way. Catchy, groovy, dynamic and all around just impressive, "smooth talkin'", will surely be in rotation in our playlists for some time to come.