When Five Iron Frenzy's lead singer and lyricist Reese Roper started writing songs that didn't fit the usual Five Iron music style, Brave Saint Saturn was born. The side project was created by Roper as an outlet for his thoughts on subjects he thought too dark and emotional for Five Iron Frenzy. The songs deal with tragedy, sorrow, and the hardships of the world. His Five Iron Frenzy band mates Keith Hoerig, and Dennis Culp contribute their talents to the album along with former Five Iron member Scott Kerr. The music centers around the main trio playing electric, acoustic, and bass guitar, although there are many different layers. With the addition of programming, sampling, and many studio musicians, the songs become very complex. Roper's melodies flow beautifully over the exceedingly well-played pop/rock music.
The album opens with "Prologue," a short instrumental with recordings of astronauts talking over the music. The astronaut recordings are included on other songs, adding to the space theme of the entire CD. The songs following all tell seriously about a loss, loneliness or pain, with the exception of "Shadow of Def." It's a mock hip-hop/rap song with lots of "street lingo" and some "Yo"s thrown in. It seems silly to begin with, but the last stanza tells the listener to "turn off the TV, put down the phone, go talk to 'JC' and be alone," letting the true meaning come through. The more serious song "Two-Twenty-Nine" is about Roper's painful loss of his grandmother and how he deals with it. Samples and slower music add to the haunting quality of the piece. His singing is very passionate and meaningful, so much so that the beautiful chorus comes easily to life:
In a world of dying children,
Rain never seems to cease,
I will hope for things unseen now,
One day my heart will be at peace,
I said I loved her and she knew it,
Whispered softly to the sky tonight,
She is warm and safe in Heaven,
In the loving arms of Jesus Christ.
Brave Saint Saturn easily draws away from the regularly upbeat sound of Five Iron Frenzy and goes for more of a darker mood and they pull it off excellently. The music and lyrics are combined perfectly to create a spacey-pop odyssey that will be sure to make So Far From Home a hit.
5 tocks
Other coverage for this album
7ball #31Reviewed by David MuttilloOn the surface, BraveSaintSaturn appears to be Keith Hoerig, Reese Roper and Dennis Culp's best chance at rocketing light years away from their day job band, Five Iron Frenzy. Let's face it, the whole ska-core genre can be quite limiting, musically speaking. Nevertheless - though this semi-conceptual album isn't infused with happy-feet-beats, like most FIF material - the lion's share of its songs…ReAL Magazine 2000Reviewed by Kevin D. HendricksBrave Saint Saturn's So Far From Home is one of the most interesting and provocative albums I've heard in a while. Perhaps it's because Brave Saint Saturn isn't bound by the usual responsibilities that hinder artists--namely the need to be successful. Brave Saint Saturn is a side project from three members of Five Iron Frenzy, Reese Roper, Dennis Culp, and Keith Hoerig. Perhaps the fact that…Bandoppler 2000Reviewed by Amy SondovaRaw emotion, an eclectic musical mix, and cutting lyrics all come together to make "Brave Saint Saturn" a shockingly stellar album. Produced by mixmaster Masaki Liu, who produced all of FIF's albums, BSS could easily be one of the most standout albums of the year. Chief songwriter and lead singer Reese Roper tackles tough issues that Christian music has overlooked. "Under Bridges" is a song about…Exit Zine 2000Reviewed by James M. BranumMay 2000 - Exitzine.com Album of the Month A couple of nights ago, I went to pop in this CD, only to realize it was missing. Though I had only had it a week, I thought I would go crazy if I couldn't find it. I went downstairs and searched my car thinking it might have fallen out of my CD box. I searched the living room, my bedroom, and even the bathroom in desperation. Terror, horrible terror…The Phantom Tollbooth 2000Reviewed by Michial FarmerThere are probably a lot of expectations for Brave Saint Saturn, Reese Roper, Keith Hoerig and Dennis Culp's side project. Those who are familiar with Roper and Culp from the popular Christian ska band Five Iron Frenzy may be expecting a sound similar to that band, with upbeat chords and horns. Consumers who see the album cover and the band's name in the store may think of space-rock in the vein…Similar sounding releases
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