Following a pair of remarkably promising EPs, Cincinnati Indie Rock band Saturn Batteries hasn’t released new music in five years. That changes this week as the group — singer/guitarist Brad Gibson, singer/bassist Archie Niebuhr, drummer Alessandro Corona, and guitarist Steven Wicks — issues its first full-length, Anything to Get Back.
The group members recorded the album almost entirely on their own, largely in Wicks’ home studio, which allowed them to take their time and experiment. Anything to Get Back’s generally laidback vibe is a big part of its allure and is perhaps a reflection — along with the rich and elegant song arrangements, which are more impactful than anything else the band has done to date — of the unhurried recording schedule.
The new album was worth the wait, showcasing an even sharper version of band’s highly melodic Guitar Rock than was introduced on the EPs Ever Been In Love? (2013) and Real Far East (2014). Wicks and Gibson’s guitars compellingly ping pong off of each other in the mix, while Corona and Niebuhr lay down slippery grooves and tight rhythms beneath them. Combined with Gibson’s lithe voice and burrowing melodies, the songs slide along ethereally in way that resembles recent Indie Rock favorites like DIIV and Real Estate.
The catchiest song of the batch (fittingly Anything to Get Back’s first single) is “When I Was Opposed to Her,” which features vocal layers akin to Kevin Barnes’ dynamic work with Of Montreal, with winding song structuring to match. “Do You Feel Well?” is another album highlight, shifting the mood down with acoustic guitar twinkle and airy, hypnotic atmospherics (with an assist by Lung cellist Kate Wakefield).
This Saturday, April 20, Saturn Batteries celebrate the new album release with a free show at MOTR Pub (1345 Main St., Over-the-Rhine, motrpub.com) with special guests Lemon Sky. Showtime is 10 p.m.
To stream/download the album (and the earlier EPs), visit saturnbatteries.bandcamp.com.
