On their new record, Sarah and the Safe Word might just be everything I want in music. You want haunting melodies? They’re here. You want screams and heavy breakdowns? Those are here, too. You want gorgeous choral, string, and piano arrangements? This record has those as well. This record is cortisol – high energy rooted in terror and adrenaline. Good Gracious! Bad People is the third release in four years for the band, and in that time the septet from North Atlanta has taken their scene by storm.
As you can tell, I really enjoy this record. It is gothic vaudeville; modern cabaret rock for all the spooky kids out there. It’s a touch Fever-era Panic! At The Disco, a dash of My Chemical Romance, a bit of Danny Elfman, some Cursive, and a pinch of The Venetia Fair. Boasting a traditional rock lineup, as well as keys, a viola, and a violin, this album strikes a balance between sincere macabre and sinister camp that makes this band my new queer idols.
From the moment this album starts, you know exactly what you’re getting yourself into. Beginning with a record scratch and a harpsichord melody, Welcome to Winterwood sees the rest of the band enter with a marching dirge, evolving into a heavy chorus and sparse verses dominated by pizzicato strings, harpsichord rhythm parts, and a ghostly vocal line. You’re All Scotch, No Soda is the opposite. It is high energy, it’s a little manic, and it’s just fun! This one was the first song that I heard when it was released as a single, and it really hooked me. Sick On Seventh Street is jazzy and bouncy. With its music box melody, it’s catchy and a little unhinged. Bottom Of A Bender is an absolute delight that blends everything lovely about this album together. A high tempo verse accentuated by a spooky synth line leads into a screamed breakdown which then leads into a delightful earworm of a chorus. I can’t say enough good things about this song. The Miscommunication is another incredible song – and when lead vocalist Sarah Rose switches to a whisper, a chill was genuinely sent down my spine. The final song on the album, The Bonnie Doll House, is just pure attitude. Slick and snarky, the song moves from string soli to hard-nosed and gritty distorted guitars chugging along.
I’m a big fan of the spooky, and this album over-delivers on catchy cabaret. It’s fall, and this record is perfect for watching the leaves wither away, exploring something scary, and pretending that Halloween can last all year. I cannot wait to see what Sarah and the Safe Word has in store next, so if you’re anything like me, you can follow and find the band at these links.
