aaamusic | On 20, Mar 2011

Saint Saviour has come around at a time when the female singer has become something of a ubiquitous annoyance, however, Becky Jones seems to offer something very different from you’re run of the mill soloist. Instead, Saint Saviour seems to come directly from a dingy dance floor bringing you a weird amalgamation of the beautifully pure sound of her voice juxtaposed against the mechanical synths that provide the heart of these tracks.

The “Anatomy EP” is a masterclass in songwriting and making the most out of your assets; Jones’ voice is sublime and never plays second best to any other section of the song but is always controlled enough to not let it verge on the screechy side of things. First track, “Ain’t No Hymn” is undoubtedly the highlight on the album. A relatively slow build, it manages to defy the listeners expectations at every turn and is as clever as it is wonderful. ‘Birdsong’ is the only time when the vocals threaten to spin out of control but instead have a wild quality that is still always pulled back before intensity is confused with messiness.

The final two tracks ‘Hurricanes’ and ‘Reasons’ are much alike with both relying upon the strength of Jones’ vocals to carry them to their conclusion. The ability to swap between the incredibly mellow attitude of tracks like these and the intense offerings of tracks like “Ain’t No Hymn” is the real highlight of this EP; it is almost like a show case of everything that Saint Saviour is able to do and she pulls every single one of them off. An outstanding introduction to an artist that everyone never knew they knew; bring on the debut album.

Author: Josie Payne